


independent women

by carissima



Category: One Tree Hill
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-09
Updated: 2006-04-09
Packaged: 2018-07-29 04:34:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 76,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7670233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carissima/pseuds/carissima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haley & Brooke moved to New York after graduation. The Scott brothers grew up in New York and run their own successful agency. Two chance meetings bring the foursome together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	independent women

**Author's Note:**

> posting for archival purposes

"Will you just drop it?" Haley grinned as she threw her books on the table.

"Okay, but he was totally checking you out," Brooke turned away and headed towards the kitchen. "You want spaghetti or risotto for dinner?"

"Spaghetti, and he wasn't, he was trying to read the poster behind me," Haley slipped off her heels and sank onto the couch, sighing with relief as she wiggled her toes and massaged her aching heels. Grinning, Haley listened to Brooke's off-key version of Bon Jovi's 'Always'. Brooke was such a sucker for love songs, especially when they were accompanied by sad videos. Haley would put money on Brooke's next song being Toni Braxton's 'Unbreak My Heart'.

Leaving the spaghetti to boil, Brooke flopped onto the couch by Haley and stared at the pile of shopping bags that stood in the middle of the room.

"We should probably move those before we fall over them or you put one of your big feet through something expensive," Brooke giggled.

"Hey!" Haley swatted Brooke on the arm. "My feet aren't that big! And there's nothing that costs more than $20 in any of the bags."

"Since we can't afford to eat for the next week, I'd say that makes anything we bought today priceless," Brooke sighed as she placed her feet on the table.

"Okay, good point," Haley admitted. "But you've just depressed me."

"You can't be depressed, Hales. It's the holiday season, and Christmas is just a week away. Do you need me to get the Christmas CD out?" Brooke bent over the couch and rummaged through their CD collection.

"Brooke, I can't handle one more 'White Christmas'. I want to throw something heavy at the TV whenever I see Bing Crosby's smirk," Haley muttered.

"Someone's got a touch of the Scrooge today," Brooke teased as she popped open the CD player.

"I know," Haley sighed. "I don't know why, Christmas is normally my favourite time of year."

As 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' filled the room, Brooke turned to her friend.

"Have you heard from your parents yet?" she asked gently.

"Nothing," Haley smiled sadly. "You?"

Brooke chuckled. "Are you kidding me? I haven't heard from my parents since they called to apologise for forgetting my birthday in August."

"But your birthday's in February," Haley frowned.

"Exactly," Brooke shook her head with a smile.

"So it really is just the two of us this year," Haley closed her eyes. "Do you remember when we were nine, and my parents let you stay over Christmas Eve?"

"Our great plan to stay awake and see Santa?" Brooke giggled. "We were fast asleep by ten thirty!"

"And then you woke me up at five am and we crept downstairs to open our presents," Haley laughed.

"And your parents caught us because you couldn't keep quiet when you found the piano they'd bought you in the garage?" Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Brooke, it was a piano!" Haley still couldn't comprehend why Brooke had never understood why a piano had meant so much to Haley that Christmas.

Haley had always wanted to play music. She'd always wanted people to hear her words, to reach out and touch them with her emotions. Her parent's gift of a piano had pushed Haley to dream of one day being a successful musician.

Brooke's parents had bought their only daughter so many presents that a piano meant nothing to her. At ten years old, Brooke was already weary of gifts and toys that had no meaning. She hadn't understood her friend's excitement over the gift, and when Haley had trudged through the snow to Brooke's house the next day and seen the mountain of presents that Brooke hadn't gotten around to unwrapping yet, she'd started to understand Brooke's indifference.

A lot had changed in ten years, but Brooke and Haley were still as close as ever. Haley crawled along the couch and laid her head in Brooke's lap, smiling as Brooke started to play with her hair.

There had never been a time that Haley James and Brooke Davis hadn't been best friends. From the moment they'd started preschool together, they'd taken one look at each other, grabbed the other's hand and that had been it. Haley had kept Brooke from growing too wild and Brooke had kept Haley from growing too serious. A perfectly balanced friendship that had outlasted school cliques and the usual pitfalls for childhood friendships and had led them to the small room they occupied now.

Brooke gently lifted Haley's head and slid off the couch, putting a cushion under Haley's head. She walked over to the kitchen to check on the spaghetti. Haley had once told her that the best way to find out if pasta was cooked was to throw a piece against the wall. If it stuck, then it was done. Haley had regretted ever telling Brooke, because it was the only tester Brooke used.

Taking aim, Brooke giggled as a piece of spaghetti went flying across the kitchen, followed by Haley's groan.

"Which sauce do you want? Bolognese or spicy tomato?" Brooke called, rummaging through the cupboards.

"Bolognese," Haley replied. "We had spicy tomato yesterday."

"Why aren't we having risotto then?" Brooke asked, opening the jar and pouring it over the spaghetti.

"You know I don't like risotto," Haley sighed as she pushed herself up and padded towards the kitchen to collect the cutlery.

"Hales, you know we can't afford to not like risotto," Brooke laughed as she carried the plates into their den.

"I know, but I want to put off the risotto for as long as possible," Haley made a face before twirling spaghetti around her fork.

"If you keep putting it off, we'll end up with risotto for Christmas dinner," Brooke pointed out.

"Yuck," Haley stuck out her tongue.

"Have you heard from Peyton today?" Brooke asked idly.

"Nope. She said she'd try and call towards the end of the week," Haley sighed.

Peyton had been their friend since middle school. They'd opened their arms to the pretty girl with the talent for drawing and Peyton had become the third link in their chain. She'd fallen in love with teenage father Jake Jagielski, and after graduating high school, the two of them had packed up and left with Jake's daughter Jenny to escape Jenny's mom, Nikki. Nikki had been drifting in and out of Jake and Jenny's life, trying to prove to Jake that she was a trustworthy mom, but Jake had found her in too many compromising positions to trust her with Jenny ever again.

Haley and Brooke only saw Peyton a handful of times every year, but they spoke at least once a week, still as close as ever, despite the distance.

"Maybe she'll tell us she's coming home for Christmas," Brooke forced a smile.

"Yeah, maybe," Haley said unconvincingly.

Brooke played with her spaghetti, her appetite lost. "Is tomorrow your open mike night?"

"Yeah. You're gonna be there, right?" Haley asked, slightly nervously.

"Of course, H. James. Where else would I be?" Brooke teased. "Are you going straight from the office?"

"Yeah, I won't finish until late tomorrow and my slot is seven on the dot. Do you want me to meet you at the shop?" Haley asked.

"Okay. I'll ask Mandy if I can put aside a couple of outfits for us so you can really make an impression on those music people," Brooke yawned.

"Brooke, that'd be great," Haley grinned. "I'll clear the dishes, you put the presents away before I put one of my big feet through Jenny's present or something and we lose our titles of Coolest Aunts and then bed."

Brooke gathered the bags up and called out a 'Goodnight' to Haley before closing the door to her bedroom.

Their apartment wasn't very spacious. The kitchen was small, their den only had room for a couch and a table, but their bedrooms were spacious enough. After graduating, Haley and Brooke had fulfilled their dreams of leaving Tree Hill and living in New York. Neither of them had taken a penny from their parents, not even Brooke, and she never would, ever again. If they wanted to be parents, they could talk to her, instead of throwing money at her. So far, over six months, they'd called her once and the conversation had lasted for less than five minutes.

With their savings, they'd rented this apartment and furnished it as well as they could afford, which wasn't much. Haley had gotten an entry level job with a small newspaper, whilst Brooke had found a small boutique that needed a salesperson. Their wages mostly kept them afloat, but some months were leaner than others. As it was Christmas and they'd been saving for presents, December was a leaner month than any other they'd had.

They'd bought presents for each other, presents for Peyton, Jake and Jenny, even though they'd more than likely sit in the corner of their apartment for months after Christmas, until their friend resurfaced. By then, they'd probably have added birthday presents to the pile. They'd bought presents for their parents, despite their absence. They'd also sit in the pile, waiting for a visit. They'd bought presents for absent friends and family, and they'd sit on the pile.

Glancing at her watch, Brooke grinned as she realised it was only 8.15. As a teenager, she stayed out until the early hours of the morning. As a working girl in the city, Brooke relished the days she could get to bed as early as possible. Tiredness was a by product of her and Haley's lives, but they wouldn't change it for anything. They were working for their dreams, as well as living them, and they were doing it themselves, and together.

Brooke spent three nights a week at night school, studying design. Her dreams of becoming a fashion designer may be far-fetched, but she was working towards it. Working in a boutique made her happy, and her boss was like a big sister to her, always happy to lend her money or clothes. Although Brooke never accepted the money, she happily let Mandy lend her beautiful clothes. It came in especially handy for the nights Haley spent at Open Mike nights. Haley sang for the two nights Brooke had free, and Brooke always sat in the audience, cheering her on.

After changing into her pyjamas and brushing her teeth and face, Brooke climbed into bed. Closing her eyes, she sighed. Life had been pretty good to her. It had brought her Haley.

*

"Luke, will you just drop it?" Nathan laughed as he dropped his mail onto the mess that was his desk.

"Nate, that girl was totally checking you out," Luke lounged against the door frame that led into his brother's office.

"She was looking for her friend, who was two yards away from me," Nate muttered as he rummaged through the papers on his desk.

"You know, if you organised all those papers it'd make finding things a lot easier," Lucas smirked.

"The whole 'mom' routine doesn't suit you, man," Nathan spared his brother a brief glare before shifting some more files.

"What are you looking for?" Lucas stepped forward to help with the rummaging.

"The file on the kid from Atlanta," Nathan answered as he gave up on his desk and headed over to the pile of papers that lay on the filing cabinets.

"The swimmer? Sam Danes?" Lucas racked his brains.

"That's him. His parents are due in at ten to discuss his trip to Birmingham," Nathan caught sight of the file and pulled it out from under a mountain of other files. "Aha! Got it."

"What else have you got today?" Lucas asked as he neatly stacked the papers on Nathan's desk.

"I've got a lunch date with Carly, meetings this afternoon with two potential clients and then I've got a date with the Knicks, a cold beer and a pizza tonight," Nathan sat back in his chair and sighed. "What about you, bro?"

"I've got a meeting with the contract lawyers at ten, the advertising execs at twelve, a conference call with the other agents involved in the Birmingham meet and if I've got time, catching up with the backlog of paperwork," Lucas sighed.

"Make sure you don't stay late tonight, because that pizza and beer has your name on it too," Nathan grinned.

"I guess the paperwork can come home with me tonight," Lucas turned and headed for the door. "Say hi to Carly for me."

"Sure thing," Nathan frowned as he watched his brother disappear into his own immaculate office.

After both majoring in business whilst playing college basketball, the Scott brothers had come home to New York to open their fledgling sports agency. With Nathan being a year younger, Lucas had spent a year by himself in New York. He'd researched their business plan for months and he'd planned their course for the first five years. He'd waited tables in the evening and worked for a major sports agency during the day. With the experience he'd gained and the advice of his parents, he and Nathan had started up Scott Sports. The office they operated from was small, with room only for themselves, two secretaries and a part-time assistant. Their parents had given them a loan to start the business and their plan to repay the loan within the agency's first five years was going well. Repayment didn't leave them much in change, so they'd resigned themselves to renting together until they were in complete control of the business and there was no debt hanging over their heads. Now, finally at the age of 25, Lucas was beginning to see the end of his five year plan and the debt they owed their parents.

Renting together wasn't so bad. They never argued about what to watch, so long as it was sports-related. They never argued about the cooking, since they each had one speciality, Lucas' was spaghetti and Nathan's was risotto. If they wanted anything else, they either went out or ordered in. Nathan managed to contain his mess, and Lucas made him clean the house every other week.

**_*_ **

Lucas closed the door behind him and leaned against the door, sighing. Hearing Nathan cheering on the Knicks, he headed towards their small den, where Nathan sat in his chair, surrounded by bottles, chips and a pizza box. Sinking into his own chair, Lucas set his briefcase beside the chair and he placed the files he'd carried home in a box on the table.

Reaching over, he grabbed a bottle from Nathan and popped the lid. Taking a long sip, he took the last piece of the pizza and settled in to watch the Knicks kick ass.

"You work too hard, bro," Nathan observed.

"Someone's got to," Lucas teased.

Grinning, Nathan popped open another beer. "I work hard, but I play hard too. I have balance, whereas you, Luke, you work all the time. When was the last time you had a date? When was the last time you brought a girl back here or stayed over at a girls?"

Lucas closed his eyes. Nathan relished every chance he got to hassle him over the pitiful state of his love-life. "I went on a date last month. She was gorgeous but she couldn't carry a conversation unless it was about celebrities and their diets."

"Who cares what she talked about, man," Nathan laughed. "You just smile, flatter her a lot and then ask her place or yours."

"Smooth, man, real smooth," Lucas grinned. "I've never asked a girl her place or mine, and I don't plan on ever asking. If it's right, you're too busy to ask."

"Look man, I've seen you with girls, I know you're almost as charming as me. Let's go out tomorrow night. I know some really great places where even you will have fun, Lukey boy," Nathan smirked.

"Yeah, okay," Lucas agreed, shaking his head at Nathan's surprised glance. "I'm not that bad, I just want to get the business onto a solid footing as soon as possible."

"I know, bro. We're almost there so it's time to have a little fun. It's Christmas next week, you have to take time off for the holidays, whether you want to or not. This will be like a little taster for you," Nathan grabbed some chips. "Man, I need to hit the gym after tonight."

"I'm going tomorrow before work," Lucas offered.

"Okay, but we're not going flat out. You've got to conserve some energy for all that charm you'll need tomorrow night," Nathan said firmly.

Lucas muttered something before grabbing the files in front of him and starting the mountain of work ahead.

Lucas knew that he worked harder than Nathan, and that he rarely made time for himself because of the business and his ambition. It wasn't that Nathan was lazy or disinterested in the business, because Lucas knew Nathan worked his ass off every day. Nathan wanted his independence from their parents, but Lucas felt the burden of their loan more acutely. Talking Lucas into taking the loan from their parents was the hardest thing Nathan had ever had to do, because Lucas had been determined to do it without any help.

Putting down the first file, Lucas leant forward to grab the next, only to find it had made its way into Nathan's lap. With one eye on the basketball, Nathan was slowly working his way through the file. Grinning, Lucas picked up the next file.

Half an hour later, the files were discarded, the Knicks had won and the Scott brothers were outside playing a very competitive one-on-one. They'd chosen the apartment over bigger and nicer apartments because of the court across the road.

"Lucas, you're never gonna make it to the basket," Nathan taunted.

Lucas stepped back and released the ball. A clean swish preceded Lucas' laugh. "Well, would you look at that? You're right; I didn't make it to the basket," Lucas smirked.

"Next basket wins, and it's my shot," Nathan reminded his older brother.

Five minutes later and they were still playing. Next basket wins threats were idle in their game; they merely played until they were too tired to continue.

"So who won?" Lucas asked as he threw the empty bottles and boxes into the trash.

"I wasn't keeping score," Nathan called as he walked into his room. "Night, Lucas."

"Night Nate," Lucas smiled as he headed to his own room. After undressing and brushing his teeth and face, Lucas climbed into bed. Closing his eyes, he sighed. Life had been pretty good to him. It had brought him Nathan.

*

Brooke bounded towards the counter, after ushering the last customer of the day out of the boutique. Mandy had thrown several outfits at her favourite employee when Brooke had mentioned Haley's open mike night, which Brooke had promptly stashed behind the counter after squealing and throwing her arms around Mandy.

"Never mind which one's you wear, you keep all of them, you hear?" Mandy had said firmly as she hugged Brooke.

"Mandy, I can't. You give us clothes all the time," Brooke pulled back and looked at Mandy.

"Well, since you never take a loan from me, or even spare change, you'll just have to put up with free clothes," Mandy had grinned.

"Well, that is a hardship," Brooke laughed. "Thanks Mandy, you know how much I appreciate it."

"I know, sweetie. Now you just make sure you and Haley make my dresses look fabulous and slip a business card in the handbag of all the rich girls you see, okay?" Mandy raised her eyebrows and smirked.

Brooke giggled. "No problem. I've still got the stack of cards you gave me when I joined. When you gave them to me, I thought you wanted me to give them all away in my first week!"

"I did!" Mandy laughed. "I can't believe you still have some!"

"You must have given me at least a thousand," Brooke walked over to the counter and tucked the outfits underneath. "Exactly how many girls do you think come over and ask me where my outfit is from?"

"Hey, you don't need to narrow it down to girls. If a guy tells you he thinks you look sexy in an Amanda Rue original, give him a card and tell him to buy something nice for his girlfriend, his wife, his mom, hell, I don't care, tell him to buy his grandma a present!" Mandy pointed her finger at Brooke, who was laughing at her.

"Mandy, if a guy comes up and tells me I look sexy, he better hope he doesn't have a girlfriend or wife."

"Brooke, honey, you're so unadventurous," Mandy had admonished her.

"No, I'm just a big believer in promises," Brooke had winked at her employer before focusing on the customer who'd just walked in.

Now Brooke shook out the six outfits Mandy had thrust into her arms earlier. Knowing Brooke and Haley's sizes and tastes like the back of her hand, Mandy had selected three outfits each, never faltering in her choices. In truth, Mandy knew anything the girls wore would look perfect on them, and she longed for the days Brooke would come to work and offer her an excuse to give them clothes. Since the moment Brooke had walked into her boutique and pretty much demanded the job, Mandy had fallen hard for the girl and for Haley. Both girls had a sharp wit, brains and were just adorable together with their teasing and obvious devotion to each other.

Brooke smiled as she picked up the three outfits that were evidently meant for her and laid them across the counter. Mandy knew Brooke was more exotic in her fashion choices and had selected a green emerald dress, strapless and fitted at the top, which flared out into a full skirt with beading across the top, a deep red top which tied around the neck and the lower back, with a sequined flower imprinted on the front, a pair of black tailored trousers that would hug her thighs and slightly flare at the bottom, and a figure hugging cream skirt and top combo.

The bell jingled as Haley walked into the shop. Grinning at Brooke, she turned the lock on the door before skipping over to give Brooke a hug.

"Oh, the dress is gorgeous, Brooke!" Haley's eyes opened wide as she stared at the dress.

"How do you always know which outfit I'm going to choose?" Brooke laughed as she fingered the emerald material.

"Because you're an open book when it comes to clothes," Haley grinned before glancing around. "Where are mine?"

"Here," Brooke pulled them out from under the counter. Carefully moving her outfits, Brooke laid Mandy's choices for Haley across the counter. Knowing that Haley's tastes run more towards simple and chic, Mandy had selected two pairs of jeans, one dark blue and straight-legged, one faded blue and slightly wider in the leg. To match, there was a fitted pink shirt and a white laced top to wear underneath, and a strappy black backless top. The final outfit was a simple flared black skirt and a matching strapless white top with a black trim.

"Let's see how well you know me," Haley elbowed Brooke gently.

"Well, you  _should_  pick the skirt and top, but you'll actually wear the pink shirt and light jeans," Brooke elbowed her back.

Haley stared at her friend in surprise before a giggle escaped. "Brooke, that's scary."

"Because I know exactly what you're thinking? Come on Hales, you always pick the nice but safe outfit. How many years and shopping trips have I spent trying to persuade you to let loose a little? Every time Mandy picks your clothes, she offers you a slightly striking choice, but you never take it," Brooke rolled her eyes as she picked up the emerald dress and headed towards the changing rooms.

Haley sighed as she looked at the clothes spread out before her. "Well, maybe it's time I started listening," Haley muttered before grabbing the black and white ensemble and following Brooke to the changing rooms.

Minutes later, the girls emerged. Identical loud squeals rang out as the girls saw each other. Brooke stared at her friend, who looked sensational, just as she'd known Haley would. She was going to blow people away tonight; Brooke could just feel it, now that Haley's confidence was going to be boosted by her appearance.

Haley stared in wonder at her friend. Brooke always managed to look stunning, regardless of whether she was in a gorgeous dress or in her sweatpants and an old tee shirt. The emerald dress looked striking against Brooke's dark hair and flawless skin. Haley would have been jealous, if she didn't love Brooke so much.

"You are gonna knock 'em dead tonight, Haley James," Brooke grinned.

"Well, that's the plan," Haley smiled nervously.

"Okay, let's go before you chicken out and change into the jeans and shirt," Brooke pulled Haley over to the discarded clothes. They quickly packed all everything into one of the shop's bags, Brooke trying to speed up the process as she saw Haley's eyes dart towards the changing room.

Dragging Haley towards the door, Brooke turned the lock.

"Brooke, maybe I should …" Haley began.

"Haley, if you suggest changing your outfit, I'm going to take some scissors and attack your wardrobe when we get home," Brooke warned her.

"Okay, okay," Haley giggled as Brooke locked the door behind them. "Let's go," Haley held out her arm and Brooke took it. Arm in arm, they headed for the club, giggling when they caught guys staring at them.

"What did I tell you, Hales? You're going to have them eating out of your hand tonight," Brooke assured her friend.

"Promise?" Haley asked, getting anxious as they neared the club.

Brooke smiled. When they were young, Haley had always made Brooke promise and swear to what she said whenever Haley was scared, worried or upset.

Stopping at the entrance to the club, Brooke stopped Haley and faced her. "I promise, Pooh Bear."

Haley's eyes and smile lit up when Brooke used her old nickname for Haley. "Then lets go in, Tigger," Haley replied, using her old nickname for Brooke.

Arm in arm, smiling widely, the girls strolled into the club.

*

"Next up, we have Haley James," the announcer said with gusto.

"Wish me luck," Haley smiled nervously before standing up.

"You don't need it, but good luck," Brooke smiled encouragingly.

As Haley made her way onto the stage, Brooke was happy to notice several guys' turn and stare at her friend. Haley looked stunning, and as soon as she opened her mouth and sang, she would bet that quite a few men would lose their hearts to Haley tonight.

Brooke watched on with a smile as Haley settled herself on a stool and picked up a guitar and started strumming. Clearing her throat, Haley looked up and smiled at Brooke, who returned her smile by blowing her a big kiss and grinning.

The sounds of the guitar rose above the background noise in the club. Haley's voice grew in confidence with every note she sang, a routine Brooke had tried to help Haley break but had been unable to so far. By the end of the first verse, Haley's voice was in full swing, and with the sparkle in Haley's eyes which Brooke attributed to her dress and the fact that no guy in the audience could take his eyes off Haley, she was putting on the best performance of her life.

Haley had first dragged Brooke to an Open Mike night two months ago, after Haley had come to several and finally found the courage to try herself. Brooke had always been Haley's biggest supporter so every night that Haley sang, Brooke sat in the audience and cheered her on with loud cheering and catcalls.

Tonight was different. Haley's voice had always been pitch-perfect, but tonight she looked like she owned the stage. The dress had given her the confidence to liberate her sexuality, and Haley was making love to every person in her audience, with her voice, her eyes and her smile.

As Haley sang of heartbreak and tears, Brooke shivered as goosebumps ran along her skin and she fought back emotion.

Haley was singing from experience, as her long-term boyfriend, Bryan, had broken Haley's heart when, after a year together, he'd admitted to her that he had fallen in love with someone else. Bryan had assured her that he'd never betrayed Haley, but he didn't love her anymore. Brooke and Peyton had spent two days holed up with Haley, providing ice cream and love as Haley had cried her eyes out. Eventually the ice cream and the tears had dried up, but Haley hadn't trusted any guy with her heart since. Over the last nine months, she'd had plenty of offers but hadn't felt any urge to date anyone.

Maybe tonight would change Haley's mind, with the sensuality she was exuding and the looks she was receiving from the male audience.

Brooke had been no stranger to heartbreak herself. Her first boyfriend had moved to Arizona without telling bothering to let her know. The second had an ex-girlfriend who wouldn't leave him, or her, alone. After one too many threatening phone calls from her, Brooke had broken it off. The third boyfriend had not only broken Brooke's heart, he'd shattered it. They'd been together for almost a year and Brooke had fallen hard for James. She'd thought she was in love, until the day she walked in on him in bed with one of her cheerleaders. Devastated, she'd run home and Haley and Peyton had spent two days with Brooke, who didn't move from her bed. They waited for Brooke to erupt, but the explosion never came. After two days of looking after her, stroking her hair, murmuring comforting words and feeding her ice cream, Brooke had sat up with a tear trickling down her cheek. Peyton and Haley had thrown their arms around her, expecting an avalanche of tears, but a solitary tear was all that escaped. Later, Brooke had found out that James had been cheating on her the entire time they'd been together, but by then, Brooke was too wild to care.

Brooke hung her head as she remembered the nights she'd gone out partying and Peyton or Haley had felt compelled to go with her to make sure she didn't get hurt. After months of making out with strangers, Brooke had finally admitted to Haley that she hated herself and she didn't want to run as wild anymore. Two years on from James, and Brooke was still carrying the scars, buried deep inside.

Haley had never felt like this before. She felt more alive, and she'd never captured an audience's attention so completely. She could see the women swaying in time and the men staring at her, wanting her. Her eyes sought Brooke. She was in a world of her own, which meant she was either remembering the past or worrying about the future. Now that they were on their own, Brooke worried far more than Haley. Brooke had always had money and security to fall back on, but this time it was just the two of them, making their own way in the world. Haley had become the dreamer, the starry-eyed believer, the romantic. Brooke had become the practical one, worrying about budgets and savings. Haley would never have believed it if she wasn't a first-hand witness. The wild and flighty Brooke had put down roots, and she didn't want anyone to come along and rip her from them. The responsible and level-headed Haley had let her dreams run riot and she wanted to grasp every opportunity with no regrets. Wearing the black and white outfit was another step in the direction of her dreams.

Lucas stepped in the club and looked around. The club was full of clones, all wearing the same clothes, with the same hairstyles and too much make-up. Sighing, he caught sight of the girl on stage. Her words of heartbreak touched him, and he paid her a little more attention. Her voice was beautifully haunting, and she looked stunning. She radiated a shy sense of sensuality and he was intrigued. He watched her finish and blush at the thunderous applause she received. The blush made him smile. He watched as she stepped down from the stage and made her way towards a table further back and hidden in darkness, where a girl waited for her. They hugged and jumped up and down excitedly, and Lucas felt his heart ache a little.

Nathan appeared beside him. "Sorry man, that was Carly on the phone."

"What did she want?" Lucas asked, distracted.

"She wanted to tell me that she'd met someone, and that it might actually be serious," Nathan smiled ruefully.

"She calls you and tells you that three times a month," Lucas smiled. "Maybe they'd stick around if you didn't pull your Big Bad Best Friend routine and scare them all off."

"I'm just looking out for her. She's got the worst taste in men," Nathan growled, remembering some of the losers she'd introduced him to, certain that each one was The One.

"Yeah," Lucas agreed, preoccupied as he watched the shadowy brunette stand up and walk towards the bar, leaving the singer alone.

"What's caught your eye?" Nathan asked as he tried to follow Lucas' gaze.

"The girl over there, the blonde one," Lucas murmured.

Nathan strained to see the girl he was talking about but a flash of emerald caught his eye. Turning, he saw a stunning brunette at the bar. He saw her flash a smile at the bartender and he watched in fascination as her dimples appeared. Captivated, he glanced around and saw several other guys appreciating the same view.

"Hey Luke, I'll get us some drinks," Nathan offered, his eyes back on the brunette.

"Okay," Lucas agreed, his eyes still on the blonde.

*

Nathan strolled towards the bar where the beautiful brunette was collecting her drinks. He stood next to her, waiting patiently for the bartender and the girl to notice him.

"Just ask her out, I know she'll say yes," Brooke winked at the barman.

"She doesn't like me, Brooke. She tells me she hates me and she glares at me," the barman said morosely.

So her name was Brooke. It was a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Nathan knew better than to use that cheesy line though.

"Danny, trust me on this, that means she likes you," Brooke said wisely.

"What do you think?" Danny turned slightly and directed his question at Nathan, who'd been smirking at the conversation.

"Almost every relationship I've had has begun with a girl hating me," Nathan admitted with a smile.

"Well Brooke, I guess that either means you're right, or this guy's an ass," Danny theorised.

Brooke turned to face the guy next to her. He was definitely a hottie, and he was smiling down at her. "He doesn't look like an ass," Brooke said with a wink in the guy's direction.

Nathan laughed.

"I'll think about it," Danny promised Brooke before turning to Nathan. "What can I get you, buddy?"

"Two beers, thanks," Nathan answered him before turning back to Brooke.

"I'm Nathan," Nathan offered his hand.

"Brooke," she put her hand in his and smiled.

Lucas slowly walked towards the blonde who'd sung so beautifully, waiting to catch her eye. He was halfway across the club when the girl turned to look for her friend but she caught his eye in the process. She smiled at him and he returned it. Taking his time, he eventually reached her table, still holding her gaze.

"Hi," he murmured.

"Hi," she replied, blushing.

"Your voice is beautiful," he smiled.

"Thank you," she went a shade redder.

"Can I sit down?" Lucas prompted.

"Oh, I'm just waiting for my friend, she's getting us some drinks …" Haley trailed off as she turned to see Brooke preoccupied with a tall, dark stranger. "Well, I think she's forgotten about me, so please, sit down," she grinned.

"I'm Lucas," Lucas offered his hand.

"Haley," Haley put her hand in his and smiled.

"You stole a school bus?" Brooke threw her head back and laughed. "Okay, that's pretty crazy."

"What about you? Are you the nice, sensible girl or the rebellious, danger-loving girl?" Nathan asked, already sure of the answer.

Brooke smirked. "What do you think?" she flirted.

"I think you were the nice, sensible girl," Nathan deadpanned.

"Yuh-huh, sure you do," Brooke winked. "This nice, sensible girl used to skinny dip in strangers' jacuzzis."

"Alone?" Nathan leaned slightly closer.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Brooke's eyes sparkled.

Nathan chuckled. Brooke seemed like a fun girl. She was easy to talk to and she liked to laugh. While Brooke turned around and looked into the crowd for something or someone, Nathan took the time to admire her. She was gorgeous and the dress she was wearing showed off her curves, but in a sophisticated way. Not like the majority of the other girls in the club, who seemed to think that the more skin they bared, the more attractive they looked. Nothing turned Nathan off quicker than a girl who flaunted too much of themselves. He wouldn't dream of taking his shirt off in a club, he didn't understand why girls thought they needed to.

"Wow," Brooke murmured.

"What's up?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, nothing," Brooke turned back to Nathan and smiled. "Well, it's just that my friend is sitting with a guy. I can't remember the last time I saw her talk to a guy that wasn't one of our friends from back home."

"Where are you from?" Nathan asked.

"A small town called Tree Hill. It's not much, but we like it," Brooke shrugged.

"So why did you come to the big city?" Nathan teased.

"Haley wants to be a singer and I want to be in fashion. Neither are small town careers," Brooke laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you moved here," Nathan grinned.

"That was so cheesy!" Brooke laughed. "And you were doing so well."

Nathan chuckled. "I'm a man, Brooke. It's my job to come up with cheesy lines."

"Try not to use anymore on me, Nate. I like originality," Brooke warned, smiling so as to take the sting from her words.

"I'll remember that," Nathan said with a twinkle in his eye. "So which one is your friend?"

"She's over there," Brooke pointed towards Haley.

Nathan followed her index finger and found his brother. He coughed as he tried to stifle a laugh. "The girl sitting with the blonde guy?"

"That's her. Isn't she gorgeous?" Brooke smiled.

"Yeah," Nathan barely glanced at the girl before adding wickedly, "Shall we go and join her?"

"I guess. She might need backup. She's not very experienced with guys," Brooke revealed before heading over to Haley with Nathan following her.

"You played Crazy Golf on the roof of a house?" Lucas laughed.

"Yeah! My friend's parents weren't very strict, so they didn't mind us making the course. It was awesome," Haley sighed, smiling at the memories.

"Sounds like fun," Lucas watched her smile.

"Didn't you ever have a childish game that you still play?" Haley asked.

"I guess basketball. It used to be all my brother and I lived for, back when we were young and when we were in school. Then we stopped being so competitive about it when we went to college. We still play one-on-one most nights though," Lucas grinned.

"Does he live near you?" Haley asked.

"He lives next door," Lucas laughed. "We rent together."

"That's so sweet!" Haley giggled.

"No it's not," Lucas shook his head, grinning. "It's temporary, until our business is stable enough for us to afford our own places."

"You own a business with your brother?" Haley asked, interested.

Lucas groaned. "Yes, and it's not sweet, or cute or anything else, okay?" He watched Haley grin. "We run a small sports agency. It's been going for over 3 years and we're almost out of the scary period when you think everything is going to fall apart."

"I'm impressed. I wish I was brave enough to do something that huge," Haley sighed.

"Hey, you got up and sung in front of all these people tonight. I'd rather run through the streets naked," Lucas smirked.

"Really?" Haley's smile widened.

"Well, maybe not, but there are a lot of embarrassing things I'd rather do than sing in public," Lucas admitted. "I don't know how you do it."

"Neither do I," Haley confessed. "Every time I walk up to the stage I think about turning around and running away."

"You'd never be able to tell from watching you," Lucas told her. "You're a natural up there."

"Thanks," Haley blushed.

"So what stops you from running away?" Lucas asked.

"My friend. She comes and watches me sing every time I come here, and she gets so excited about me singing," Haley smiled gently.

"She sounds like a good friend," Lucas said.

"The very best," Haley replied.

"Hey best friend!" Brooke interrupted their conversation.

"Brooke!" Haley jumped.

"That's me," Brooke laughed. "But who's this cutie?" Brooke stared at Lucas in blatant invitation.

Lucas took one look at Brooke and took an instant dislike to the girl. He'd been talking to her friend and she'd brazenly come onto him. His opinion of Haley's good friend had just turned on its head. He wouldn't trust her as far as he could throw her.

"Brooke, this is Lucas. Lucas, this is Brooke, who I was just telling you about," Haley introduced them.

"It's nice to meet you, Lucas," Brooke grinned widely.

"You too," Lucas said coolly.

Brooke glanced at Haley, who'd also noted the cool tone. Raising her eyebrow, Brooke silently asked Haley if she was okay. Haley nodded imperceptibly, if slowly.

"You're not the only one who found a sexy playmate, Hales," Brooke winked at Lucas, who stared back at her without smiling. "Well, okay, Haley, this is Nathan," Brooke covered her surprise at Haley's new friend's rudeness.

"Nathan, this is my very best friend, Haley. And her new, um, friend, Lucas," Brooke grabbed Nathan's arm and brought him closer.

Lucas chuckled as he saw his brother's grin. "Hey man."

"Hell of a coincidence, huh?" Nathan asked his brother.

"You two know each other?" Brooke asked, surprised.

"Lucas is my brother," Nathan told her.

"Huh, really?" Brooke said, puzzled. Nathan was so nice, but his brother was an arrogant ass. How had that happened?

"The one you live and work with?" Haley asked Lucas, who nodded. "Do you guys ever spend time apart?" Haley joked.

Lucas laughed, but Nathan's eyes narrowed. That sounded like ridicule. Who was this girl to judge how much time he spent with Lucas?

"You two are really brothers?" Brooke asked, suspicious. "Did you launch a sneak attack on us?"

"I had no idea Haley was the blonde Lucas was checking out and drooling over, or that she was your friend," Nathan said truthfully.

Haley frowned. The blonde Lucas was checking out? Drooling over? Nathan was a little crude, not at all like his brother. He probably thought women were brainless bimbo's who didn't have a mind of their own.

Brooke sat down between Haley and Lucas, much to Lucas' annoyance, leaving Nathan to sit opposite her, next to Haley, much to Nathan's annoyance.

"Well, isn't this cosy?" Brooke giggled. Three blank faces stared back at her.

*

"So you must come here pretty often if you know the barman," Nathan asked Brooke to break the awkward silence.

"We're always here," Brooke giggled. She saw Lucas' frown but ignored it. Haley had kept herself off the market since they'd arrived in New York, trust her to pick an uptight ass on her first night.

"Is that because of your singing?" Lucas asked Haley, who was bemused by Lucas' coolness towards Brooke. Everyone liked Brooke. She had the kind of infectious personality that attracted people, and then her warmth and love kept them coming back.

"Yeah," Haley said, pride coloring her voice. For the first time, Haley was actually proud of her voice, thanks to Brooke and now Lucas.

Hearing the proud tone of Haley's answer, Nathan rolled his eyes. This girl seemed to be a stuck up bitch who thought she was great and liked putting others down. Brooke caught Nathan's expression and frowned. He didn't seem to like Haley, which Brooke was having trouble understanding. Everyone liked Haley. She was brilliant at talking to people and putting them at ease. She was friends with all kinds of people and she put them first and foremost at all times.

"Did you hear Haley sing, Nathan?" Brooke asked him.

"No," Nathan said shortly.

Haley bristled. Brooke had really picked Prince Charming this time. He was rude, abrupt and only seemed interested in getting Brooke into bed. He was clearly a player, using old and tired lines.  _You must come here often …"_  Please. Haley had heard more original lines in those cheesy daytime movies.

"Is Danny okay?" Haley asked Brooke, trying to put her dislike of Nathan to one side.

"He's lovesick," Brooke laughed. "He's met a girl who glares at him and hates him."

"Wow, sounds serious," Haley grinned.

"Who's Danny?" Lucas asked curiously.

"The barman who's had a crush on Brooke since the first night we came here," Haley ignored Brooke's outraged splutter. "Brooke's spurned his advances so many times that I think his heart has been well and truly shattered, especially as she flirts with him every time we're here." Haley turned and winked at Brooke, who laughed lightly. Haley had been teasing Brooke about Danny for months, and Brooke had grown used to it. Danny had never come onto Brooke, but they had become really good friends over the months. Both Brooke and Danny were experts at innocent flirting but that's all it had ever been and ever would be.

Lucas realised that his first opinion of Brooke had been spot on. She was a tease with no morals or loyalty to her friends. He couldn't understand why Haley hadn't said anything about Brooke coming onto him. If Nathan had walked over and started chatting up Haley, the brothers would probably be engaged in one of their legendary brawls right about now.

Nathan, who had witnessed Brooke and Danny's conversation, had come to the conclusion that Haley was probably just jealous over Danny and Brooke's friendship. He hadn't picked up on any signals of romance between the two, and judging by Haley's attitude, she was obviously the jealous type.

"Where do you work, Brooke?" Nathan asked.

"At a small boutique not far from here. It's called Rueful. I can't decide if that's because the clothes are expensive or because it's a play on the owner's name, Amanda Rue." Brooke grinned.

Lucas listened without much interest. It figured that Brooke worked in an expensive shop. She was probably on the hunt for a rich boyfriend or a rich friend who could introduce her to some rich friends. He turned to Haley and asked her the same question.

"I work for a local newspaper," she answered. "It's not much, and it's not really what I want to do, but it pays the bills."

"I don't think you'll be doing that for long," Lucas teased her.

Haley blushed. Lucas found her blushing adorable. He doubted Brooke had ever blushed in her life.

"No way!" Lucas heard Nathan groan. Turning to look at his brother, he noticed Brooke's body shaking with laughter.

"What's up?" Lucas asked him.

"How old do you think the girls are?" Nathan shook his head with a rueful smile.

Lucas was puzzled. They had to be over 21, since they were in the bar. "I don't know, Haley?"

"I'm 19," Haley answered, grimacing.

Lucas' eyes grew. "You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding."

Haley shook her head and Lucas groaned. "I feel like I'm committing a crime."

"How old are you?" Haley asked. She had figured him to be in his early twenties, but by the sounds of it she was slightly off.

"I'm 25, Nathan's 24," Lucas shook his head.

"If it helps, my birthday is in three weeks," Haley patted Lucas' arm.

"I guess that's something," Lucas sighed.

"How did that happen? I thought you came here after graduating and you'd only been here a few months?" Nathan tried to work it out.

Haley and Brooke looked at each other.

"It's actually a weird story. Haley and I met in kindergarten and we became inseparable after the first day. It turns out we were both a year older than everyone else. Haley's parents had travelled around a lot and by the time they settled in Tree Hill, she was already a year older than everyone else starting kindergarten," Brooke informed them.

"What about you?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, I had to repeat kindergarten," Brooke laughed lightly.

Nathan chuckled. Haley shook her head, smiling. Lucas raised his eyebrows, unsurprised.

Lucas couldn't understand why he disliked Brooke so much. Nathan obviously liked her, and Haley seemed really nice and she was her best friend. Lucas very rarely disliked anyone, but this girl brought out the worst in him.

"So how do you get in this place?" Lucas asked, looking at Haley.

"We used fake ID's for the first few times, and then we became regulars," Brooke winked at Nathan.

"We don't drink though," Haley smiled at Lucas who returned her smile.

"That wasn't my idea," Brooke leaned closer to Nathan and spoke in a stage whisper. Nathan chuckled. Brooke was definitely a lot of fun, while Haley seemed to be a prim and proper goodie two shoes.

"We should probably go," Haley looked at Brooke, who nodded. "We've got to be up early tomorrow."

Lucas rose with Haley. Taking her arm gently, he moved her to the side of the table, away from the others. "It was really nice to meet you, Haley."

"You too, Lucas," Haley smiled sweetly.

"Here's my number," Lucas took out his business card and gave it to her.

Haley blushed as she took it, knowing that she'd never have the guts to call him. Taking a pen out of her bag, she scribbled her number down on a napkin. "Here," she gave it to him. He smiled at her, before bending to brush a soft kiss against her cheek.

"Give me that pen, Hales," Brooke held out her hand. Haley threw her the pen and Brooke caught it. She grabbed Nathan's hand and wrote her number on it. She tucked his business card into her purse before standing on tiptoes and pressing a quick kiss on his lips. "Call me."

Brooke held out her hand to Haley, who grasped it. Brooke didn't glance at Lucas as she passed him and Haley kept her gaze on the door, ignoring Nathan.

"Wait," Lucas called out, grabbing the closest arm to him, which happened to be Brooke's. She turned around slowly, a guarded look on her face.

When Lucas dropped her arm, she rubbed it, feeling a little cold.

"Are you alright to get home?" Lucas asked quietly. "Do you want us to walk you home?"

Brooke stared at him. She couldn't work Lucas out. He'd acted like a jerk towards her all evening, but now he was concerned about their safety?

"We'll be alright. We don't live far and it's well lit. We walk home from here all the time," Brooke informed him stiffly.

"Okay," Lucas nodded.

Brooke turned to follow Haley but something stopped her. Turning her head to look at Lucas, she said quietly, "Thank you anyway."

"No problem," Lucas replied as he watched the girls leave the club.

"Well, that was an interesting night," Nathan clapped Lucas on the back as he watched Brooke disappear through the door.

"It sure was," Lucas said slowly.

*

"You really blew them away tonight, Hales," Brooke put her arm around Haley's waist and squeezed gently.

"I know!" Haley squealed before both girls broke out in laughter.

"You really made an impression on Lucas," Brooke teased.

"And you made one on Nathan," Haley retaliated.

"I'm still not sure they didn't plan that. I mean, two brothers coming onto two friends?" Brooke frowned.

"I don't know, Brooke. I think Lucas was genuinely surprised to see Nathan when you found us," Haley pointed out.

"I guess," Brooke still had her suspicions.

"Besides, if it had been an ambush, I doubt Lucas would have been so unfriendly towards you," Haley looked at her friend.

Brooke looked back at her. "Yeah, what was all that about? I noticed Nathan being a bit chilly towards you as well."

"I have no idea," Haley admitted.

The girls walked in silence for two blocks, each casting the other secretive glances.

"What did you think of Nathan, honestly?" Brooke finally asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.

"He's cute," Haley nodded. Seeing the look on Brooke's face, Haley giggled. "Okay Brooke, he was gorgeous."

"But?" Brooke prompted.

"But nothing," Haley said innocently as they stopped to grab a hot chocolate from the café they always popped into on the way home.

"What did you think about Lucas?" Haley asked as she picked up her hot chocolate and followed Brooke outside the café.

"I thought he was a total hottie. Good looks must run in that family," Brooke winked at Haley who giggled.

"And?" Haley prompted just as Brooke had.

"He's got a serious chip on his shoulder. I bet he took one look at me and judged me without a trial. I also bet that Nathan thought the same thing about you. Seems to me that Lucas has a thing for nice, good girls, and Nathan has a thing for bad girls. Since you fit the nice girl stereotype, that means Lucas liked you and Nathan didn't, and vice versa for me," Brooke theorised.

"Huh," Haley screwed up her face and thought about Brooke's theory. It sounded plausible. "But you're not that much of a bad girl," she reasoned.

"I am too!" Brooke protested.

Haley merely raised her eyebrows and took a sip of her drink.

"Okay, so I've calmed down recently. But I still have that twinkle in my eye and that teasing grin when I see a cute boy. Any guy who's been around a bit will see it as an invitation," Brooke sighed.

"So Lucas probably thought you were coming onto him when you came over and called him a cutie," Haley giggled.

"See, this is why I usually stay clear of guys," Brooke moaned. "They all think I'm just a flirt looking for a good time."

"Well, Brookie, you are a flirt and you are looking for a good time," Haley smiled.

"But I'm looking for a good time with one guy who likes me, not with different guys who like my body," Brooke finished her drink and tossed it into a nearby waste bin.

"Maybe Nathan's that guy," Haley suggested, even though his name caused a bitter taste in his mouth. Brooke needed someone steady and trustworthy, and Nathan looked like the type of guy who would never settle for just one girl.

"Maybe Lucas will be the guy to restore your trust in men," Brooke countered, even though she seriously doubted it. Haley needed someone with a fiery passion to awaken her soul, and Lucas looked about as passionate as a dead fish.

"I won't be calling Lucas, Brooke. And if he calls me, I'll tell him that I'm busy for the next three years. I can't be with someone who dislikes my Brookie, can I?" Haley put her arm around Brooke's shoulders.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about Nathan," Brooke grinned as she put her arm around Haley's waist.

"What were the chances of this happening?" Haley laughed.

"What happening?" Brooke asked.

"We finally meet two guys that like us and we like them, something that hasn't happened since we moved here, but they fail the crucial best friend test," Haley giggled.

"I'd say the chances were pretty high, considering the way our luck's going at the moment," Brooke groaned.

"Maybe tonight means our luck's changing, Brookie," Haley detached herself from Brooke and rummaged through her bag, looking for her keys. "I mean, look at what happened tonight. I got the biggest applause I've ever had, and I've been singing at that place for months. Two cute guys were interested in us, and alright, they aren't our Prince Charmings, but it's a step in the right direction, right? Aha!" Haley pulled out her keys and opened the door to their apartment.

"I guess so," Brooke agreed.

"Come on Brooke, you're normally the super-cheerful one here," Haley put the bag with their clothes on the couch and turned to face her friend, putting her hands on her hips and looking as stern as she could manage.

"Well, I guess we do have some new, pretty clothes," Brooke sighed. "And you were brilliant tonight," she moved towards the couch. "And they were hotties," she sat down. "And it is Christmas in 6 days," Brooke yelled as she flicked the switch on their CD player and White Christmas filled the apartment.

Haley groaned as Brooke stood up and grabbed her hand. Spinning them around in a slow dance, the girls giggled as Bing sung his heart out about snow and the holiday season. Brooke dipped Haley, giggling as Haley threw her arms out dramatically.

Loud banging on either side of the apartment brought an abrupt halt to their dancing. Brooke stopped the CD as Haley yelled out an apology to the neighbours. Giggling, the girls whispered goodnight and went to their rooms.

*

 

"Mandy, you outdid yourself yesterday," Brooke grinned as she walked into the boutique before the shop opened.

"Why, thank you dearest. I do try," Mandy smirked as she finished pinning an outfit to a mannequin. "What do you think?"

Brooke appraised the use of a navy and white diagonally stripped skirt with a yellow strapless top. "I like it," Brooke decided.

"Me too," Mandy nodded her head. "So tell me, how did I outdo myself?"

"Well, I wore the green dress, as I guess you knew I would," Brooke grinned as Mandy tried to stop a smug look cross her face and failed miserably.

"And what about Haley?" Mandy asked, hopeful as ever that Haley would pick the more striking outfit.

"She wore the skirt and top!" Brooke squealed.

Mandy felt her jaw drop. "You're kidding!" she squeaked.

Brooke shook her head and laughed as she watched Mandy do a little victory dance that nearly ended up with the mannequin sprawled across the floor, if Brooke hadn't caught the teetering model.

"That's it. From now on, all Haley's clothes will be just as stunning," Mandy cried as she grabbed Brooke and twirled her around the shop, narrowly missing several displays.

"The … phone …" Brooke gasped between laughs. She broke free of Mandy's hold and answered the telephone, trying not to giggle. "Rueful Boutique, Brooke speaking."

"Hey gorgeous," Nathan's sexy growl answered her.

"Nathan, I thought I told you I liked originality," Brooke giggled.

"Originality is over-rated," Nathan chuckled.

"Well, how can I help you, sir?" Brooke teased.

"How about meeting me for a drink tomorrow night?" Nathan suggested.

"Nathan, I don't think that's a good idea," Brooke said softly.

"Why not?" Nathan was clearly surprised at her refusal.

"Well, for one, your brother doesn't seem to like me very much. And for another, you didn't seem to like Haley either," Brooke reminded him.

"Ah. You guys are close, right?" Nathan surmised.

"The closest. Sorry Nathan, I really like you. But you failed the best friend test," Brooke said gently.

Nathan smiled. "Well, Brooke, I really like you too. Maybe you'll change your mind someday. If you do, give me a call."

"Thanks, Nathan," Brooke smiled. He really was a nice guy.

"I'll see you around, Brooke," he said softly.

"Bye, Nathan," Brooke put the phone down slowly.

"And just what was that? Brooke, being called by a guy?" Mandy shook her head. "What exactly happened last night?"

"Well, Haley got cheered off the stage last night. You should have heard her, Mandy. She was so great," Brooke grinned. "So great that a guy came up and hit on her. And coincidently, his brother hit on me at the same time."

"Brooke!" Mandy squealed and pulled her into a hug. "It's about time the two of you started dating."

"Don't get too excited, Mand," Brooke warned her boss. "Nathan didn't like Haley, and Lucas, who liked Haley, didn't much like the look of me."

Mandy groaned. "I think it's so sweet that the two of you are so close, but dammit Brooke! Were they cute?"

Brooke grinned. "Total hotties."

Mandy threw her hands up in despair. Muttering, she turned and stalked off towards the storage room. Brooke chuckled as she heard boxes being thrown against the walls. It was going to be a long day.

*

 

"Haley James speaking," Haley answered the telephone, distracted by the paper on her desk.

"Hey," Lucas' soft voice answered her.

"Lucas! Erm, how are you?" Haley asked, flustered.

"I'm good. How about you?" Lucas chuckled.

"Oh, I'm just sorting through piles of paperwork," Haley laughed lightly.

"Sounds like fun," Lucas grinned.

"You have no idea," Haley laughed.

"Last night was fun," Lucas said softly.

"Yes it was," Haley agreed nervously.

"Would you like to meet me for a drink tonight?" Lucas asked.

"I can't, I'm busy," Haley said quietly.

"How about tomorrow night?" Lucas asked.

"I can't meet you any night, Lucas," Haley said gently.

"Why not?" Lucas repeated his brother's words.

"Because Brooke means a lot to me," Haley answered him.

"Ah," Lucas saw where Haley was going.

"She's my closest friend, Lucas, and you obviously didn't like her. You judged her without knowing anything about her. I like you, Lucas, I really do, but Brooke is my best friend," Haley said quietly.

"I like you too, Haley. Maybe you'll change your mind one day," Lucas said.

"Thank you, Lucas," Haley replied, knowing she wouldn't change her mind.

"I'll see you around, Haley," Lucas said quietly.

"Goodbye, Lucas," Haley put the receiver down. It was a shame he hadn't liked Brooke, because Lucas seemed like a really sweet guy.

Picking the receiver up again, she dialled Rueful's number.

"Rueful Boutique, Brooke speaking," Brooke answered.

"I've just spoken to Lucas," Haley informed her.

"I've just spoken to Nathan," Brooke giggled. "I told him I couldn't go out with him."

"That's what I told Lucas," Haley giggled.

"Any regrets?" Brooke asked her.

"None," Haley crossed her fingers. "You?"

"Nope," Brooke crossed her fingers. "But Mandy's throwing a tantrum in the storeroom. She can't believe that we finally ventured out with some hotties, only to turn them down."

"Oh dear," Haley groaned.

A loud crash made Brooke jump. "On the other hand, she was ecstatic that you wore the skirt and top. She's planning lots more outfits like that one. Don't expect anymore comfortable and pretty clothes, she's going all out with revealing and bright outfits."

"Brooke, I don't think I'm ready for those kinds of clothes. I like being comfortable and wearing pretty things," Haley sighed.

"You're not allowed to back down now, Hales. You're just going to have to embrace the wild child inside of you, okay?" Brooke argued.

"I'm pretty sure I don't have a wild child inside of me, Brooke," Haley laughed.

"Sure you do, she's just buried real deep," Brooke told her.

"If you say so," Haley gave in.

"I sure do," Brooke grinned. "I've got my course tonight, so I'll be late in."

"Okay. I'll see you later," Haley replied.

"Bye, Hales," Brooke replaced the receiver.

She grimaced as she heard another crash. Grabbing her purse, she slipped out of the shop and headed for the bakery across the road. She was going to need a big bribe to calm Mandy down.

*

Haley wished everyone a Merry Christmas before leaving the office weighed down with presents and flowers from her friends there. The paper was only running on skeleton staff over the holidays, and since she was only junior staff, she had a whole week and a day off, until the day after New Year. Brooke was doing some last minute shopping, although what she could have forgotten, Haley had no idea. They had a small mountain of gifts, ready for when they next saw their loved ones.

Haley tottered down the street, trying to see over the boxes and through the flowers as well as avoiding puddles and ice. It had been snowing for the last week, and whilst Haley normally loved the snow, she'd never had to walk through it in high heels and skirts before. She'd slipped on the ice and bumped into strangers so many times that week that she'd stopped blushing and merely laughed at her own embarrassment while apologising profusely to the poor person who'd ended up catching her.

Rounding the corner, Haley was thinking about how many nights she could put off eating the risotto that haunted the kitchen cupboard instead of concentrating on where she was going. Too late, she felt the familiar sensation of ice beneath her. Her foot slipped out from under her and she instinctively let go of all the presents she'd been holding onto to break her fall.

Instead of lying sprawled across icy path, Haley felt strong, warm arms catch her and they held her safe. Flinging her arms around the stranger's neck, Haley giggled as she tried to find her feet but her heels kept slipping on the ice. The stranger growled before swinging her up into his arms and carrying her the short distance to a safer stretch of the path. Haley steadied herself against the wall as she watched her saviour walk carefully over to where her scattered presents lay. Haley giggled as she wondered what Brooke would say when she told her about this.

As the guy picked up all the wrapped gifts, he turned to face Haley with a grimace. Haley gasped as she recognised him.

"Nathan?" Haley whispered.

"You should watch where you're going," Nathan said gruffly.

"I'm sorry, I'm normally very careful around ice and snow, especially when I'm wearing these ridiculous heels, but I was thinking about dinner and I lost my concentration for a second," Haley babbled, embarrassed that it should be Nathan who'd caught her.

"Do you want a hand carrying those?" Nathan muttered as he watched her trying to balance all the presents he'd handed her.

"Oh, no, I'll be okay," Haley said quickly. "Thank you for catching me, you saved me quiet a few bruises, I'd say," she risked a small smile in his direction.

Nathan didn't return the smile. "Look, Haley, you're never going to be able to carry those and not fall again. Let me help you. I won't bite."

"That's a shame," Haley grinned, before widening her eyes and blushing.

Nathan finally relaxed and grinned at her. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Haley blushed a deeper shade of pink. "I didn't mean to say that! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be sorry," Nathan grinned. "You don't normally say things like that, do you?"

"Not to guys I don't know," Haley shook her head.

"Are you going to let me take some of those for you?" Nathan raised his eyebrows.

Haley hesitated for a second before nodding.

Nathan took almost all of the packages, leaving Haley with only the flowers and one box.

"I can carry more than this," she protested.

"I've seen you on ice, Haley. I think it's best if you pay as much attention to not falling over as possible," Nathan smirked.

"I've already told you that I'm usually more careful!" Haley's temper got the better of her.

"Relax, Haley, I was only teasing you," Nathan grinned good-naturedly at her.

Haley felt her anger slip away. "I'm sorry," she groaned. "Typical, someone helps me and I yell at them."

"Happens a lot does it? I'm glad it's not just me that rubs you up the wrong way," Nathan motioned for Haley to start walking.

"You won't believe it, but I'm normally very easy to get on with," Haley glanced at Nathan and saw the doubt in his eyes. "Really, I am."

"Would you believe me if I said the same thing?" Nathan asked her with a smile on his lips.

"Probably not," Haley admitted, a smile teasing her lips.

Nathan laughed. "You're very honest."

Haley looked at him sheepishly. "I know. I'm not sure if it's because Brooke's rubbed off on me, or I've rubbed off on her, or that we both just happen to be brutally honest, but we've had some huge fights because one of us has been a little too honest for the other's liking."

"Like what?" Nathan asked.

"I once told her that she was a terrible singer," Haley giggled.

"And that caused a huge fight?" Nathan asked, confused. Lucas often told him that he was a terrible singer, but Nathan just shrugged and sang louder.

"Well, we were fourteen and Brooke had wanted to be the next Britney or Christina," Haley giggled. "She was so devastated that Peyton had to stay with her all night after we'd argued."

"Peyton?" Nathan queried, hefting the boxes into a more comfortable position.

"Do you want me to take some?" Haley offered, not really surprised when Nathan shook his head. "Peyton's our other best friend."

"Does she live here too?" Nathan asked.

"No," Haley murmured.

Nathan glanced at her. Surprised, he watched her brush a tear away. This Haley was certainly different to the Haley he thought he'd met last week.

"Do you want to stop and get a coffee or something?" Nathan suggested as they neared one of his favourite cafés.

"Sure," Haley smiled tremulously as she wiped another tear away.

Nathan guided her into the café and ordered two coffees before ushering her over to a small table in the corner, away from the door.

"I'm so sorry," Haley whispered.

"That's okay," Nathan said gruffly.

"No, it's not. I barely know you, we don't really like each other, yet you stopped me from falling, you've carried my things for me and now I'm crying like a baby."

Nathan actually thought that Haley was very pretty when she cried. Most of the girls he'd seen crying had red puffy eyes and screwed up faces and they howled at the top of their voices. "It's okay, Haley."

"You're so nice!" Haley whispered. "You're not at all like how I thought you were."

"A rude, obnoxious jerk?" Nathan teased.

"How did you know?" Haley gasped before putting her hand over her mouth.

Nathan chuckled. "It's okay, I get that a lot. To be fair, I thought you were a prissy goodie two shoes."

Haley hiccupped as she laughed. "I get that a lot too," she admitted. "Especially when people see me and Brooke together. We get labels that aren't fair to either of us."

"I guess I'm guilty of that," Nathan said ruefully.

"It's okay, we get it all the time. That's why we don't usually date," Haley admitted.

"You and Brooke don't date?" Nathan asked in surprise.

"Not really," Haley shrugged. "We're happy with just the two of us at the moment." Haley took a sip of her coffee. "Mmm, that's good."

"Haley, can I ask you something?" Nathan asked quietly as he gulped down his own coffee.

"Sure," Haley replied nervously.

"Did Brooke really repeat kindergarten?" Nathan grinned.

Haley laughed. "No. That's just what she tells people to get a laugh. But I can't tell you why. It's her secret to tell."

Nathan nodded. "Okay."

"Now it's my turn. What's it like, still living with your brother?" Haley asked, curious.

"There's nothing wrong with renting with your brother, you know," Nathan scowled.

Haley laughed. "Now who's being defensive? I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. I'm genuinely interested. I couldn't live with any of my sisters or brothers any longer than I had to. I guess you get on really well."

"We do," Nathan nodded. "We're renting together because Lucas is determined to do everything alone, without any help from our parents. They put some money into the agency when we started it up, and Lucas has been working like a dog to repay them. He wanted to do it within five years of the business starting, but he's going to fully repay them, with interest, within three and a half."

"Wow," Haley breathed.

"Yeah. Lucas is the smart one," Nathan laughed.

"I'm sure that's not true," Haley frowned. "He didn't do it by himself."

Nathan smiled. Haley was definitely nicer than he remembered. "That's true. He only did most of it by himself," he chuckled.

Grabbing Haley's presents, Nathan stood. "Come on, let's get going. It's getting colder by the minute and your legs must be frozen."

Haley grabbed the flowers and her box. "Home is practically around the corner," Haley told Nathan as they stepped into the cold. "Thanks for helping me, Nathan. You didn't have to, but you did. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem. Besides, it gave us a chance to get rid of some of those prejudices we've been harbouring about each other for a week," he teased her.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm still harbouring some of those prejudices," Haley giggled.

"Thanks!" Nathan chuckled.

Haley stopped outside a red door. "Well, this is me," she told him as she searched for her keys. "I can never find my damn keys …"

"Nice decoration," Nathan murmured dryly as he stared at the lights that bordered the door and the wreath that covered the knocker.

"Brooke goes overboard at Christmas. It's her favourite holiday," Haley told him. "Aha! Got them!" She unlocked the door and dropped her things on the floor inside. Turning to Nathan, she took the presents from him and put them inside too.

"Thank you, Nathan," she smiled.

"No problem, Haley," he smiled back.

"I'm glad it was you who caught me," Haley giggled. "Now I can tell Brooke that you've passed the test."

"I passed?" Nathan chuckled.

"With flying colours, this time," Haley winked. "Why don't you try calling her after Christmas? I'm sure her answer would be different this time."

"Thanks, Haley," Nathan was really starting to warm up to Haley. He had misjudged her totally.

"Now, I expect you to work on Lucas for me, and I'll work on Brooke. Maybe they'll have a similar breakthrough," Haley crossed her fingers.

"I wouldn't count on it," Nathan muttered. "Lucas can be a stubborn ass when he wants to be."

"That's funny, because that's just how I'd describe Brooke," Haley giggled.

"I'll do my best," Nathan promised her.

"Bye, Nathan," Haley smiled.

"Bye, Haley," Nathan turned around and stepped onto the sidewalk. "Be careful on that ice!"

Haley grinned as she shut the door. She had really been wrong about Nathan. He was pretty sweet when he wanted to be. And he was surprisingly strong. Shivering, Haley raced upstairs to change into a big fluffy jumper and some sweats. She was starting to remember why she loved Christmas so much.

*

Brooke's feet were aching. She'dbeen walking up and down the same streets for the last hour, trying to find the perfect present for Haley. She'd bought Haley a blank musical sheet book last month so that Haley could finally write proper songs in a proper book, instead of scribbling a few notes and lyrics here and there on scraps of paper that lined their apartment. Brooke wanted to get Haley something really special as well, to commemorate their first Christmas alone together.

The sound of her ring tone made Brooke jump. No-one ever called her cell phone, mainly because she never gave anyone the number. The only person who ever called her …

Brooke dropped her bags and scrambled to find her cell.

"PEYTON!" she yelled down the cell phone.

"Hey Brookie," Peyton laughed. "Miss me?"

Brooke sank down onto a bench. "You have no idea, P. Sawyer," Brooke grinned madly. "Why haven't you called us?"

She heard Peyton sigh. "Jake thought he saw Nikki a few weeks ago in Philadelphia, so we've been moving around for the last month. It's been so crazy, I haven't had time to find a telephone and call you."

"When is it going to end, Pey?" Brooke sighed.

"I wish I knew," Peyton laughed dryly. "How's Haley?"

"She's good. Great, in fact. You should have seen her last week, Peyton. She put on a foxy outfit and sang her heart out. Practically got cheered out of the building," Brooke grinned.

"Oh man, good for Hales," Peyton smiled. "What about you, Brookie? Met any cute guys recently?"

A brief memory of Nathan flickered through Brooke's mind, but she pushed him aside with a sigh. "None worth talking about."

"Brooke, you have to get over James one day. Not to mention all those other losers you fell for," Peyton spoke with brutal honesty.

"Some of us aren't lucky enough to find the person we're meant to be with at seventeen," Brooke laughed. "How is Jake? And what about my favourite niece?"

"Jake's still nervous as ever, but he's good. He's become an expert at finding well paid temping jobs," Peyton tried to joke. "And Jenny's always asking where Aunt Brookie and Aunt Haley are."

"Maybe it's time to stop running, Peyton. Just face Nikki once and for all," Brooke said softly.

"Maybe," Peyton whispered. "Anyway, I just wanted to check in with you before Christmas. You have a great holiday, okay?"

"You too, Pey. You've got a stack of presents here, waiting to be picked up," Brooke whispered as a tear fell down her cheek.

"We'll come soon," Peyton promised.

"We'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Brooke tried to stop her voice from trembling.

"You'd better, Brookie," Peyton said before the phone line went dead.

Gathering her bags, Brooke swiped at the tears streaming down her face. Lately, Brooke hadn't been able to keep her emotions in check whenever Peyton called. Heading towards the more expensive shops that Brooke had so far been avoiding, she kept her head down and tried to avoid catching anyone's eye. The last thing she wanted was to be accosted by a well-meaning stranger.

Slipping into the first shop she passed, she collected herself before looking around. She'd stepped in an antique shop, Brooke's favourite kind of shop, after clothes shops, shoe shops and music shops. Brooke wandered around, stopping to look at anything that caught her eye, but moving on when she registered the prices. Glancing into the jewellery cabinet, a necklace caught her eye. Moving closer, Brooke stared at the necklace. The chain was a delicate thread of silver which housed a small locket in the shape of a heart. The engraving on the locket was intricately beautiful and Brooke knew she'd found the perfect gift for Haley. She looked at the price on the tag and nearly fainted. She could scarce afford the locket, but she knew she had to have it.

Handing her card across the counter, Brooke fingered the locket with a smile. She had the perfect pictures to put inside. On their last day in Tree Hill together, the three of them had gone to a picture booth and taken a thousand pictures of themselves. Brooke had a few strips of Peyton and herself which would fit nicely in the locket. When the transaction was complete, Brooke grinned widely and stepped outside.

And walked straight into Lucas.

His arms encircled her as her foot slipped on the ice, but it was too late. Brooke's momentum overcame Lucas' solid frame and he fell backwards onto the snow, one arm breaking his fall, the other wrapped around Brooke to break her fall.

Sprawled across Lucas on the sidewalk, Brooke started giggling.

Lucas stared at her. It was just his luck to bump into this girl again. She'd just sent him into the snow, and his jacket was already soaking wet, but now she was laughing at him?

Brooke tried to stop laughing because she could tell Lucas was unimpressed, but looking at his frown only made her laugh louder.

Lucas felt his lips tug into a grin. Revenge was sweet. In a second, he'd flipped Brooke so she was underneath him and it was her turn in the snow. Brooke gasped from the shock of the cold before giggling. Reaching out, she grabbed a handful of snow and pushed it in Lucas' face. Shaking with laughter, she watched as he wiped it away before throwing some snow of his own.

"Okay, I give!" Brooke screamed as the snow hit her cheek.

Lucas got to his feet and offered Brooke a hand. Grabbing it, she let him pull her up and hold onto her until she found her feet.

"Hey," Brooke giggled as she brushed snow off her clothes.

"Hey," Lucas growled as he swiped at some snow on his jacket.

"Fancy bumping into you," Brooke said before dissolving into giggles.

"Very funny," Lucas said dryly.

Brooke bent to pick up her bags, checking that the necklace was safe.

"So you can have fun," Brooke said cheekily.

"Maybe there was just something satisfying about throwing snow at you, Brooke," Lucas retaliated.

"Ah, and you have wit too," Brooke smirked. "Who knew?"

Lucas arched an eyebrow. "You have a sharp tongue, Brooke, but I bet everyone knows that, right?" he shot back, riled by her teasing.

Brooke tried to ignore the insult. "Actually, most people think I'm a sweetheart," she grinned.

"And then they get to know the real you, right?" Lucas was starting to feel the chill through his jacket and he just knew he was going to catch a cold or pneumonia just in time for Christmas Day.

"Relax, Lucas, I was kidding," Brooke shrugged and narrowed her eyes, no longer having fun. "I'm also not coming onto you, whatever you think. Firstly, I wouldn't do that to Haley. Secondly, you're not my type. Thirdly, you're Nathan's brother. And finally, I'm not looking for any complications, so stop acting like an ass towards me and lighten up. It's not hard, for a few seconds back there, you were having fun, even if it was because you were throwing snow at me."

Lucas stared at her.

"Look, Haley really likes you, for some insane reason. I know she turned you down, just like I turned Nathan down. Would I do that if I didn't have enough morals to control myself not to come onto the guy she likes?" Brooke was getting into the swing of her argument. The anger in her voice kept her from thinking about the shivers she was feeling all over, thanks to her roll in the snow.

Lucas kept staring at her.

"I'm going to go home and tell Haley that I bumped into you. I'm then going to lie, and tell her that we talked and realised that we'd misunderstood each other the night we met, and that if you should happen to call her again and ask her out, that she should say yes," Brooke snapped.

"And then, assuming that you do call her and that she does say yes, if we ever meet socially, then we'll be polite to each other for Haley's sake and nothing more, because I don't think I've ever met a bigger jerk than you. For a moment in the club, and for a moment just now, I thought maybe you were deserving of Haley, but clearly you're not. You're an arrogant, judgmental jackass who isn't worthy of someone as kind, sweet and lovely as Haley," Brooke said through gritted teeth.

Taking one last look at him, Brooke silently congratulated herself as she took in his pale complexion, noted his stiff stance and the shock written all over his face. The stupid jerk deserved a wake up call, she thought. Brooke Davis may be a flirt, but it was harmless and his sniping and insults were neither warranted nor appreciated. Putting jackasses in their place was one of Brooke's favourite things to do, and as she turned around and stalked off, she waited until she turned the corner before giggling. She had to laugh, or she might just break down into tears again.

*

Brooke yawned and stretched as she woke up. Shivering, she bounded out of bed, wrapping the extra blanket she used in the winter around her before creeping out into the den. She stifled a giggle as she saw the pile of presents underneath their small Christmas tree and considered ripping them all open before Haley woke up. Balling her fists, Brooke had to remind herself that she wasn't a little kid anymore, and that she could exercise some self control.

Sighing, she took one last longing glance at the presents before moving into the kitchen and putting the kettle on. The clock on the wall told her that it was seven o'clock. Grinning, she took two mugs out and measured out the hot chocolate. Christmas morning was the only day of the year that Brooke woke up before nine o'clock if she wasn't working. Frothing the milk, Brooke starting humming a few bars of 'I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus'. She'd never really appreciated Christmas until her parents had stopped buying her a mountain of presents and Haley and Peyton had introduced her to their traditions. Haley was the one who always had to have hot chocolate on Christmas morning. Peyton was the one who had to wear red pyjamas on Christmas Eve and for a large portion of Christmas morning. Haley was the one who showed Brooke that it was nicer to take turns in opening presents so everyone enjoyed everyone else's presents. Peyton was the one who introduced Brooke to Christmas carols and Christmas songs.

Picking up the two mugs, Brooke shuffled across to Haley's room. Not bothering to knock, Brooke pushed the door open and yelled, "Merry Christmas, Pooh Bear!"

Haley jerked upwards into a sitting position, before opening her eyes and scowling at Brooke. "I wish you wouldn't do that," she muttered.

"Come on, Hales, it's a Christmas tradition! And here's another," Brooke passed her a mug.

Grinning, Haley took a sip. "Mmm, now it's Christmas. Merry Christmas, Tigger."

Brooke sat on the end of Haley's bed, curled up in the blanket, sipping from her own mug. "What happened to you last night?"

"I must have fallen asleep as soon as I got in," Haley murmured.

"I crashed out in front of the TV before eight o'clock," Brooke admitted.

"You'll never guess who I bumped into yesterday on the way home from work," Haley smiled.

Ignoring a flitting memory of Lucas, Brooke raised her eyebrows.

"Nathan," Haley raised her own eyebrows. "I almost fell on him because of the ice, but he caught me and helped me carry my things home."

Brooke giggled. What were the chances that she'd bumped into Lucas and Haley had bumped into Nathan?

"If he helped you home, seems like he can't be all that bad," Brooke said slyly.

"Okay, Brooke, I admit it. Nathan seems like a nice guy. First impressions can be wrong," Haley sighed.

"Does that mean I can call him?" Brooke squealed.

"Yes, I guess so," Haley giggled.

"Well, coincidentally, I bumped into Lucas yesterday. Except I actually did fall on him and he fell on the snow," Brooke giggled at the memory. "We talked, he realised he'd got the wrong impression about me, and I told him to call you," Brooke crossed her fingers at the little white lie.

"Brooke, that's crazy!" Haley squealed.

"I know. And it means Mandy will love me again," Brooke grinned.

"What time is she coming over?" Haley leaned back and smiled, happy that Lucas had changed his mind about Brooke.

"She said about three, which means she'll be here at five," Brooke rolled her eyes. Mandy couldn't keep to a schedule if she tried, and she never did. Since meeting Mandy, Brooke had realised how much her own inability to keep to a schedule annoyed Haley and Peyton, and she'd become much better at organising her time.

"Have you opened your presents yet?" Haley eyed Brooke suspiciously.

"No!" Brooke pretended that she was horrified at the very thought. Haley was unaffected. Brooke giggled. "I thought about it, but I made myself wait."

Haley laughed. Shifting over, she patted the empty space next to her. Brooke moved so she was sitting next to Haley, both sipping their hot chocolate and wearing red pyjamas.

"There's someone missing from this bed," Haley sighed.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot to tell you but Peyton called me yesterday!" Brooke cried, upset that she'd forgotten to tell Haley first thing this morning.

"Was she okay?" Haley asked, worried.

"She's fine. Jake and Jenny are fine. Jake thought he saw Nikki so they've been on the move again," Brooke sighed. "I told her we'd call her today."

Haley sighed. Christmas morning had always started at Haley's house, with Brooke and Haley in bed one side facing Peyton who always got into bed the wrong way. Today, all they saw was Haley's desk with a picture of Peyton laughing on it.

"Right, no dwelling on the past, missy. We're going to have a really great day and nothing is going to spoil it, okay?" Brooke ordered as she climbed out of bed and took the mugs into the kitchen.

"I'm just jumping in the shower, and then I'll start cooking," Haley called.

Brooke grinned. She was so glad that Haley liked cooking. Brooke was actually a very good cook, but she was lazy and didn't do it often. She had promised Haley that she'd make apple pie for dessert though.

Brooke jumped into the shower after Haley and put on some jeans and a red jumper. Walking out of her room, she laughed as she saw Haley had on the same outfit in different shades.

Flopping down on the couch, she stared at the presents with a pout. "Haley, can I open just one present?"

"No!" Haley yelled.

"Please?" she pleaded.

"Not until I've got this turkey in the oven and all the vegetables are cooking," Haley said firmly.

"Fine," Brooke muttered as she put the Christmas CD on. Humming away to Santa Baby, she jumped as she heard a knock on the door.

Haley poked her head out of the kitchen and looked at the door in confusion.

"Are you expecting someone?" she asked Brooke.

"Not unless Mandy's changed the habits of a lifetime and she got here six hours early," Brooke shrugged as she crossed the room.

Opening the door by a crack, Brooke peered though the gap. Screaming, she threw open the door and threw herself at Peyton, who was grinning wildly.

"HALEY!" Brooke shrieked as she held tightly onto Peyton, who was dressed in jeans and a red jumper.

Seconds later she heard a louder scream and Haley's arms encircled Peyton and Brooke.

The squealing and shrieking continued until the girls felt someone breaking them apart. Looking down, Brooke found Jenny pushing at their legs and holding her arms out to be picked up. Laughing, Brooke bent down and settled her on her hip, grinning as she realised Jenny was dressed in jeans and a red jumper, with a red jacket and a red hat.

"Aren't you getting big! And you can walk! Aren't you a clever little girl?" Brooke gushed.

Haley hugged Jake, who'd been watching the reunion in bemusement. Brooke hugged him next, keeping Jenny tucked safely to her side before dragging him inside.

"What are you guys doing here?" Haley asked, slightly in shock.

"We haven't spent a Christmas apart in ten years, Hales," Peyton laughed as she watched Brooke playing with Jenny. "We were on the road, and we decided there wasn't any place else we'd want to spend Christmas."

"Oh my god, I don't think I've got enough food!" Haley cried as she jumped up and rushed to the kitchen.

Brooke shook her head, keeping her eyes on Jenny. "We've got loads of food, she's just panicking," she told them. "Oh, this means you can open your presents!" Brooke clapped, laughing as Jenny imitated her.

Haley stepped back out of the kitchen. "Brooke's been pouting already because I won't let her open any presents."

"I have not been pouting!" Brooke gasped.

"Yeah, okay," Haley laughed as she sat next to Brooke and took Jenny away from her. "Well, dinner's under control now that I've thrown all the vegetables we own onto the stove, so I guess that means we can open a few presents."

"Yay!" Brooke squealed before throwing herself onto the floor in front of the Christmas tree. She hunted around before finding Haley's present to Jenny and passed it to Haley who helped Jenny unwrap it. Jenny giggled as she saw the doll and started to play with its hair.

"How long are you here for?" Brooke asked Peyton.

"Until New Year, if not longer, if that's okay with you guys?" Peyton asked.

"Of course it is! Luckily, we came prepared for such an occasion and the couch pulls out into a bed," Haley told them. "It'll be really cramped, but so long as you don't mind, we don't mind."

"Thanks guys," Jake said as he passed a bag over to Brooke. "They're our presents for you. They aren't much," he said quietly as Peyton squeezed his hand.

"Jakey, Haley and I can barely afford to eat because of Christmas, it's not like you've got the most expensive presents in the world from us," Brooke said blithely as she handed Jake a present from Jenny.

"What is it?" Brooke said impatiently whilst Jake unwrapped the present.

"It's a picture of Jenny taking her first steps," Jake said in wonder as he fingered the frame. "Thank you," he whispered to Peyton as he kissed her and she blushed.

"Haley," Brooke passed her a present from Brooke.

Haley squealed as she saw the music book. "Brooke! This is perfect!" she hugged her.

"Well, I figured it was the only way to stop finding scraps of paper all over the place," Brooke laughed.

An hour later, everyone had opened all their presents. Brooke was delighted with the picture of Jenny that Peyton had drawn for her and the tickets to the next catwalk fashion show that Haley had bought for her. Peyton was thrilled with the two old albums that Haley had bought her and the suede jacket that Brooke had bought her. Jake was busy playing with the toys everyone had bought Jenny, but he wasn't letting the signed autograph of Michael Jordan that the girls had bought him out of his sight. Haley was over the moon with the picture of Brooke and Peyton that Peyton had drawn for her and the locket had made her cry. When she'd opened it up to find pictures of Peyton and Brooke inside, she'd not been able to stop the tears from falling, which had ended up in a big girls group hug.

Peyton had kept the girls company in the kitchen whilst they cooked and Jake entertained Jenny with Monster's Inc, something he'd found whilst rummaging for a video. Neither girl had admitted to it being theirs, but he'd seen Peyton pointing to Brooke when she wasn't looking.

Everyone made a mess whilst eating dinner and Jenny was only to blame for a small part of that mess. Laughter filled the small apartment and barely five minutes went past without someone hugging someone else.

Just after four, Mandy arrived carrying more presents. She bounced around the room when Brooke told her about their changes of hearts regarding the Scott brothers, after which Peyton demanded to know every detail. They spent some time playing silly games as well as serenading each other with Christmas songs, with Haley and Jake being the only ones who could carry a note.

By nine o'clock, Mandy had left, merrily drunk and Haley had fallen asleep on the floor. Peyton nudged Jake who sighed before picking Haley up and carrying her to her room. He then settled Jenny down for the night. Brooke announced she was going to bed as well, but Peyton followed her into her room.

"I'm so glad you came," Brooke hugged her tightly.

"Me too. It wouldn't have been Christmas otherwise," Peyton hugged her back.

"So, tell me what really happened between you and Lucas," Peyton said slyly.

"Huh? What do you mean? I told you what happened?" Brooke laughed lightly.

"You also played with your hair, the clear signal that Ms Davis is lying through her teeth," Peyton pointed out with a laugh.

"Fine. I bumped into him and we fell into the snow. We had a little snowball fight. Then he started insulting me so I yelled at him. I told him he wasn't good enough for Haley, but since she wanted him, I'd tell her that we made up and we'd be civilised when Haley was around, if it worked out," Brooke sighed. "Don't you dare tell Haley though."

"Brooke," Peyton giggled. "You yelled at someone you barely know in the middle of a street after toppling him into the snow?"

"Pretty much," Brooke laughed.

"I've missed you," Peyton hugged her again. "You're a good friend."

"So are you, Ms Jagaelski," Brooke sighed. "Promise you won't leave for a really long time."

"I promise, Brooke," Peyton whispered before walking to the door. "Besides, I want to see these two hotties," she laughed as she shut the door.

Brooke laughed as she got ready for bed. Pulling up the blankets, she felt sleep drift over her. This was the best Christmas ever ...

*

Jenny had managed to reduce four adults to helpless laughter after she'd been rummaging in Brooke's room and had decided to dress up like her Aunt Brookie. As Peyton scrambled to find her pad to draw the little angel, Jake tried to stop laughing so he could tell his daughter off for turning Brooke's room into a mess and Haley was dancing with Jenny, the telephone rang. Brooke, still giggling, tried to follow the sound of the ring as the mess from Christmas hadn't yet been cleared. Finally finding the telephone under a pile of used wrapping paper, she answered the call, still laughing.

"Hi, um, Brooke?" the deep voice guessed.

"Nathan! Hey!" Brooke immediately sobered up and hushed everyone in the room, who had suddenly become engrossed in Brooke's conversation.

"How was your Christmas?" he asked.

"It was really good. A lot of good surprises," Brooke winked at Peyton. "How was yours?"

"It was good," Nathan said, not as enthusiastically as Brooke. "Our parents came over and we ate too much, then tried to play some basketball, and it just generally didn't end well," he chuckled.

"It doesn't sound like a winning combination," Brooke teased.

"You can say that again," Nathan agreed. "Um, I don't know if Haley told you, but I kind of bumped into her the other day …"

Brooke jumped up and down silently, gesturing to the others, who started jumping up and down silently with her. "She did mention it, yes."

"She said that perhaps if I called and asked you out again, that you might say yes this time," Nathan teased her.

"Oh did she?" Brooke grinned.

"She did," Nathan laughed. "So how about it? You want to risk a night out with me?"

"I think that sounds delightful, Mr Scott," Brooke punched the air as Haley squealed and jumped on Peyton's back and gave her a bear hug. Jake picked up his daughter and twirled her around the room, not really understanding the girls' behaviour, but happy enough to make his daughter giggle helplessly whilst she was still dressed in one of Brooke's dresses with Brooke's homecoming tiara perched precariously on her mop of hair.

"How about tomorrow night?" Nathan suggested.

"Tomorrow? But that's New Years Eve," Brooke pointed out, puzzled. The others stopped their celebration, creating a humorous tableau in the middle of the apartment.

"I know. I understand if you have plans, but I thought I'd ask, since I don't have a date," Nathan said, trying his best to sound endearing.

"Well, I was planning to spend it with my friends," Brooke frowned. "Where did you have in mind?"

"One of our friends has a huge ball at the Crowne Plaza hotel. It's really fancy and if you turn me down, I'll be shunned for not bringing a date," Nathan tried pouting, ignoring Lucas who was laughing at him whilst watching cartoons.

Everyone watched, frozen as Brooke sank onto the couch, eyes wide and jaw dropping. "Can I bring my friends?" Brooke asked softly, in shock.

"How many?" Nathan asked, hoping Brooke wasn't going to bring any guy friends.

"At least two, maybe four if I can find a babysitter," Brooke hoped and prayed that she could. She watched as Haley grabbed their address book and started flicking through it.

"Is one of them Haley?" Nathan asked slyly, watching as his brother suddenly became a lot more interested in his conversation.

"Of course!" Brooke rolled her eyes. "Does Lucas want to officially ask her?" she watched Haley pause and stare at her.

"How did you know?" Nathan laughed.

"I'm just that smart," Brooke laughed. "What time will you pick us up?"

"Eight. And Brooke? Wear something as spectacular as that green dress, okay?" Nathan said softly so as Lucas wouldn't hear him.

Brooke giggled seductively. "Of course," she purred. "Do you need directions here?"

"I think I remember," Nathan grinned. "I'll go and get Lucas. I'll see you tomorrow, gorgeous."

"Bye Nathan," Brooke smiled before handing the telephone over to a slightly panicked Haley.

"Hi," she said softly, watching Brooke and Peyton squeal silently and hug each other.

"Hey Haley," Lucas greeted her. "I guess you figured out what Nathan was asking Brooke."

"I got the gist of it," Haley smiled.

"Would you like to be my date?" Lucas asked.

"I'd love to," Haley grinned, blushing slightly.

"Great! Did you have a nice Christmas?" Lucas asked, ignoring Nathan who rolled his eyes.

"It was really lovely. Some old friends came by to surprise us," Haley grinned as she watched Jake trying to wrestle Brooke's tiara away from Jenny.

"That must have been good. We just got the parents this year," Lucas sighed before laughing.

"Lucky you," Haley smiled, wishing that her parents could have been there.

"Will you promise that you'll wear something as breathtaking tomorrow night as you did when we met?" Lucas asked huskily.

"I could do that," Haley said softly.

"I can't wait," Lucas smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow night, Haley."

"Bye Lucas," Haley replaced the receiver before running at Brooke and knocking her onto the floor. Both were in fits of giggles and rolled around, tickling each other and squealing.

"Is this normal?" Jake looked at them in bemusement.

"For them, yes," Peyton sighed.

"We have to find a babysitter, like now!" Brooke gasped as she and Haley sat up, their hair in a mess and their clothes skewed.

"We'll never find one, Brooke," Peyton smiled ruefully.

"P. Sawyer, you hush your dirty little mouth. We will find a babysitter, never fear. Even if we all end up broke, we'll still be at the party," Brooke insisted. "Give me the phone."

"Mandy, we've got an emergency!" Brooke cried down the telephone, ignoring everyone else's laughter. "Nathan and Lucas have invited us to a big fancy ball tomorrow night!"

"No, outfits aren't the crisis," Brooke rolled her eyes before whispering, "We'll talk outfits later." And more loudly, "We need a babysitter for Jenny."

"You're kidding!" Brooke almost shouted down the telephone. "That sucks for Pia, but are you sure she doesn't mind?"

"Score!" Brooke turned to face everyone and grinned wildly. "Now, about those outfits …"

*

"You don't think there's something one of the girls isn't telling us, do you?" Nathan asked as their limousine made its way across town, fighting a losing battle with the party traffic.

"Like what?" his brother frowned as he tried to fasten his cufflinks.

"Here," Nathan took the offending cufflink from Lucas and fastened it for him. "Well, Brooke said they needed to find a babysitter."

Lucas chuckled. "There's no way either of those girls has a child. They were both out late the night we met them, remember? And neither mentioned a child when we asked them out. I'm sure it's one of their friends' that they're bringing."

"You hope, more like it," Nathan muttered.

"How much further to their apartment?" Lucas murmured as he looked out onto the streets where partygoers had started celebrating early.

"A few blocks," Nathan estimated.

"We haven't moved in ten minutes. Maybe we should walk and the limo can find us when the roads clear," Lucas suggested.

"I could do with stretching my legs," Nathan shrugged. After informing the driver, the Scott brothers stepped out of the limousine and Nathan steered Lucas in the direction of the girls' apartment.

Minutes later, Lucas stepped forward and knocked on the door. Seconds later, he came face to face with a handsome dark haired man with a rueful smile. "You must be Lucas and Nathan," he offered his hand to the blond man before him.

"I'm Lucas, this is Nathan," Lucas performed the introductions as the man shook Nathan's hand.

"I'm Jake, one of Brooke and Haley's friends from home. Come on up, the girls are driving me mad!" Jake sighed with a grin.

Following Jake, the Scott's glanced at each other. A friend from back home? That didn't sound like it would bode them well.

"Have a seat. I've been banned from seeing the girls until they're completely ready," Jake grinned as he picked up Jenny. Seeing two strange men, Jenny did something that would have made Brooke proud; she held out her arms to them and gave them a big toothy grin.

Lucas chuckled as Jenny scrambled to get down and wobbled over to him, lifting her arms. Picking her up, he smiled as she settled in his arms and stared at Nathan.

"I'm sorry, she's a big flirt, even at her age. I blame her Aunt Brookie, don't I, sweetpea?" Jake asked Jenny who nodded with a grin.

Lucas stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He'd gotten over the shock of seeing the little girl, clearly Jake's daughter, and he registered the Aunt Brookie.

A door opened and a blonde beauty emerged. All the guys stared at her. Peyton was wearing a long strapless black dress that clung to all her curves. Her hair was swept up and her makeup was perfect. Jake grinned stupidly as he walked over to her.

"You look stunning, babe," he whispered as he put his arm around her.

"You don't scrub up too bad either, Jake," Peyton grinned as she took in Jake's tuxedo. "You guys must be the Scott brothers. I'm Peyton, Brooke and Haley's best friend from home. And you've already met Jake and Jenny, I see," she giggled as she saw Jenny curled up in Lucas' arms, sucking her thumb.

"Hi Peyton. I'm Nathan, this is Lucas," Nathan introduced themselves. The brothers shared a look. Peyton was stunningly beautiful, and she matched Jake perfectly.

"It's nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you," Peyton smiled, her gaze resting on Lucas a second longer. He looked away; sure that she knew the truth about his meeting with Brooke in the snow. Peyton grinned. "The girls shouldn't be much longer; Brooke's having a problem with her outfit."

"It was really nice of you guys to let us tag along," Jake made sure Peyton was comfortable before sitting down.

"It's no problem. The more the merrier, at these kind of parties," Nathan assured them. "I take it you found a babysitter?"

"Brooke's boss, who should be here any minute, has a flatmate who was ill over Christmas and doesn't feel like partying yet. She agreed to come over and watch Jenny for us," Peyton smiled. "It'll be nice to have some time alone," she looked up at Jake and smiled softly.

A knock interrupted them. "Excuse me, that'll be Mandy and Pia," Peyton got up and headed to the door.

Seconds later Peyton returned, flushed and grinning.

"Jake, my gorgeous hunk, don't you look sexy as hell in that little tuxedo I rustled up for you!" Mandy grinned as she pulled Jake into a hug. "And what about little Peyton? I think I outdid myself with this errant tomboy, what do you think?" Jake laughed.

Turning to the two men on the couch, Mandy cocked her head and stared at them. "The Scott brothers. Now, which one is Lucas and which one is Nathan?"

"I'm Nathan, ma'am," Nathan said, not sure what to call the strange lady before him.

Mandy let out a peal of laughter. "I haven't been called ma'am in a thousand years. It's Mandy, or Sexy Thing to you," Mandy winked at him. "And Lucas, left holding the baby. Aren't you just adorable?" Mandy grinned at the bemused Lucas.

"Brooke's having trouble with her dress," Peyton interrupted Mandy's flow.

"What do you mean, child?" Mandy spun around and glared at Brooke's door. "That dress was perfect!"

"She thinks it's a little …" Peyton stole a glance at the brothers, who were very interested. "A little too sophisticated," Peyton finished lamely.

"My Brookie is the most sophisticated girl I know," Mandy huffed. "Just because she listens to idiotic men who think … well, I'm in polite company so I won't say, but she deserves to be treated like a princess, not some … well. Getting her to dress like a princess is a step in the right direction."

"You're preaching to the wrong person, Mandy," Peyton sighed. Brooke had always been pigeon-holed as a tramp or a slut. The girl was neither, she was the sweetest girl but because she was loud and flirty and shameless when it came to attraction, she was always treated badly.

Lucas frowned. These women really cared about Brooke, and about how she was treated. He himself was guilty of stereotyping Brooke, and since she'd yelled at him last week, he'd been feeling terrible about it. These women were increasing that guilt ten-fold.

"I know, honey. At least tonight, she has three strapping young men to look out for her tonight," Mandy winked at Nathan. "Maybe Jake's role as protector can be passed onto someone else tonight."

Nathan and Lucas looked at Jake, puzzled. Jake grinned. "I've had to threaten and once or twice, physically beat some of Brooke's admirers."

"Haley and I did a huge cheer when you punched James," Peyton sighed with a grin. "That was the  _best_  day."

"He deserved it. And more," he frowned. "I wish I'd hit him harder."

"Any harder and he wouldn't have gotten up," Peyton was still grinning. "Brooke came running up and jumped on you afterwards," she giggled.

Lucas sighed. He needed to apologise to Brooke. Judging by her friends' views on Brooke, he'd been a complete ass towards her.

The door opened and Haley emerged, looking shy and elegant in a long red satin dress. The dress had thin straps and a patterned bodice, whilst the skirt was slinky. Haley looked gorgeous, and caused Peyton, Mandy and Pia to sigh. Lucas smiled slowly before getting up to walk across to her.

"You look beautiful," Lucas said softly as he kissed her cheek.

"Thank you," she replied with a blush. "You look very handsome."

"This old thing?" Lucas winked.

Haley laughed softly as she turned to find Nathan. He was staring at her, looking totally bewildered and lost. "Hey Nathan," she greeted him.

Nathan cleared his throat as he stood up. "Haley," he bent to kiss her cheek. His eyes locked with hers and time stood still for a millisecond. But the millisecond passed and Haley moved back to stand next to Lucas. She adverted her eyes from Nathan, confused. She could have sworn, just for a second, that there had been a moment between them. But that was ridiculous, she told herself. She was with Lucas, and Nathan had come for Brooke. Shaking her head, Haley smiled ruefully.

"I am so great, honestly, I even surprise myself," Mandy chuckled. "You look stunning, Haley. As stunning as this girl, who I never thought I'd see out of jeans and t-shirts."

"You're a riot, Mandy," Peyton grinned.

"PEYTON! HALEY!" a scream came from behind the door.

Giggling, the girls disappeared into the room.

"I'm having flashbacks to high school," Jake groaned. "Brooke could never be ready on time. I think she was almost ready on time once, but then Peyton spilt a drink on Brooke's top and that set us back an hour," Jake sighed.

"It'll be worth the wait, Jakey. I promise," Mandy said smugly.

"I LOOK RIDICULOUS!"

Lucas coughed to cover a chuckle. Jake whistled. Nathan looked puzzled.

"EVERYONE'S GOING TO LAUGH AT ME!"

Mandy pursed her lips and glared at Brooke's door. In two strides, she'd ripped open the door. "BROOKE PENELOPE DAVIS! YOU LOOK BREATHTAKING! NOW GET OUT HERE THIS MINUTE SO WE DON'T SPEND NEW YEAR IN THIS APARTMENT!"

Lucas, Nathan and Jake gave in and started laughing.

Mandy, Peyton and Haley came out and stood glaring at them until the laughter subsided.

Brooke peeked out from her room. "Nathan, I'm so sorry. Please don't laugh," she said so earnestly that Nathan began to worry about her.

Stepping out from her room, Brooke was wearing a pale baby blue dress. Thin straps held the intricately beaded bodice up, whilst the dress fanned out into a floaty skirt. A layer of organza gave the dress the appearance of belonging to a princess, and Brooke looked every inch the princess. With her hair expertly pinned up, her bare shoulders were exposed and she really did look breathtaking.

"Wow," Jake breathed.

"Brooke …" Nathan rose slowly and walked over to her. Brushing a kiss against her cheek, he said, stunned, "There aren't words to describe how beautifully stunning you look."

Brooke stared at the guys. They really seemed speechless. Maybe she didn't look so ridiculous. This dress, though, it was so unlike her. Even Lucas was staring at her. Although he was probably holding back the urge to laugh at her.

"Hi, Lucas," Brooke smiled, trying to stop her teeth from gritting together.

Lucas jerked himself into moving. Still holding Jenny, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder, he smiled at Brooke, a real smile. Picking up her hand, he kissed it softly. Brooke felt electricity shoot up her arm and she stared at him in shock. "You look beautiful, m'lady," he murmured.

The girls in the room sighed. Lucas was incredibly charming, and Brooke was feeling the full force of it.

Lucas stepped back, watching Brooke as she stumbled and Nathan caught her. Brooke giggled to cover her confusion. "I'm sorry, Nathan, I'm not used to these floaty skirts."

"I can catch you all night, Brooke. I really don't mind," Nathan winked at her.

"Oh, you!" Brooke grinned, looking up at him.

"It's time to make a move, I'd say," Jake said as he took Jenny from Lucas. "I'll just put Jenny down and then we can go."

The girls preened each other as the boys stood watching them. Mandy stood to one side and watched the boys carefully. Darling Jake, when he returned, kept his eyes on Peyton, never wavering from her. It sent a warm feeling down her spine, watching the young couple together. Lucas and Nathan were more interesting though. Whilst Nathan admired Brooke, his gaze travelled more than was necessary to Haley, accompanied by a bemused expression. And Lucas, well, he smiled as he looked at Haley. His gaze wandered more than was necessary to Brooke, and Mandy could clearly read the confusion and desire in his eyes.

Tonight was going to be very interesting, Mandy thought to herself as everyone headed out of the apartment and into the limousine, with accompanying squeals of delight. Very interesting indeed, she thought, grinning.

*

Stepping out of the limousine, the guys offered the girls their arms. Nathan offered his other arm to Mandy, who chuckled and took it, assuring him that as soon as they got inside, she'd be off to find a man of her own, since she didn't like sharing.

They stepped inside the ballroom, Lucas and Haley leading the way with Peyton and Jake bringing up the rear. The girls stared in delight at the beautifully decorated room and the beautifully adorned women. A slow song was playing, and Jake gracefully bowed before Peyton, who giggled as she took his hand and he led her towards the dance floor.

"Would you like to dance?" Nathan asked Brooke. Brooke shook her head, facing a rare moment of nerves. "Shall we go and find a table?"

Brooke nodded and smiled up at him before he led her through the crowd towards some empty chairs.

"Would you like to dance?" Lucas asked Haley.

"I would love to," Haley grinned as Lucas led her to the dance floor.

Leaning her head against his broad chest, Haley and Lucas glided effortless across the dance floor. "I'm so glad I bumped into Nathan and you bumped into Brooke. Otherwise tonight might never have happened."

"Haley, there's something I need to tell you about that. Brooke and I, we kind of argued. Actually, I was being an obnoxious bastard and Brooke called me on it. She yelled at me in the middle of the street. Then she told me she'd tell you that we got on great so we could date, even though you're too good for me," Lucas sighed.

Haley stared up at him. Then she started giggling. "I bet you were terrified when she started shouting," she smirked.

"Terrified doesn't begin to describe it," Lucas smiled ruefully.

"Why were you being horrible to her, Lucas? You're always so nice to me," Haley looked up at him quizzically.

"I don't know," Lucas sighed. "I think I may have stereotyped her, one of my many faults, as Nathan loves to point out. Obviously, I've been an idiot, and after she yelled at me and seeing how you all talked about her earlier, I've realised that I've been completely wrong about her. I need to speak to her later and apologise."

Haley smiled. "That would be nice."

"But right now, I have a beautiful woman in my arms and I feel the need to sweep her off her feet," Lucas grinned before lowering Haley into an extravagant dip.

Brooke watched Lucas dip Haley before they dissolved into laughter and continued dancing, both with smiles on their faces. Turning back to Nathan, she grinned. "Your brother seems to be sweeping Haley off her feet."

Nathan chuckled as he watched Lucas twirl Haley. "Lucas is a hell of a charmer, when he wants to be. Most of the time, he's just a pain in the butt, but every now and again, he becomes this smiling, charismatic Prince Charming and no girl is safe."

"Unlike you, the eternal Prince Charming," Brooke teased him.

"I do okay," Nathan grinned. "Are you sure you don't want to dance?"

"I'm not really very good at dancing," Brooke told him. "I like sitting here and talking to you."

"Me too," Nathan smiled. "I'll go and get us some drinks."

The hours passed, with Jake and Peyton spending most of their time alone either on the dance floor or sitting close and talking, enjoying being alone. Haley and Lucas spent a lot of time on the dance floor, either with each other or with others. Nathan couldn't persuade Brooke onto the dance floor at all, despite his best efforts. Brooke was self-conscious about her dress and she really was scared of getting up and dancing. Even Peyton had come over to try and persuade her, but Brooke was having none of it. Peyton had grabbed Nathan's hand and they had made a cute picture, dancing crazily in the middle of everyone.

"You having fun?" Jake asked Brooke.

"Yeah," Brooke sighed. "At least that's one guy you won't have to hit for me."

Jake grinned. "I miss those days. I mean, I'm glad you've found someone nice, but I liked being your pseudo big brother."

Brooke jumped up and settled herself on Jake's lap. Nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck, Brooke felt Jake wrap his arms around her. "You'll always be my pseudo big brother, Jakey," she whispered.

"I've missed you, Aunt Brookie," Jake smiled as he absently stroked her back.

"I've missed you too, Daddy Jake. And Mommy Peyton. I'm so glad you're staying with us for a while. Haley and I were getting lonely," Brooke sighed.

"You've changed since you moved here, Brooke. You've calmed down, you've matured. It's all very strange," Jake teased her.

"I have not! You take that back!" Brooke giggled. "I got tired of being messed around, Jake. I figured the best way to prevent it was to stop acting the way I was."

"I liked the way you were. You were the crazy one of the group. Now it looks like Haley's crazier than you," Jake grinned.

"She's finally having some fun," Brooke smiled. "It's been great."

Lucas glanced over and found Brooke curled up in Jake's arms. He was surprised to find himself smiling at the picture they made instead of rolling his eyes and thinking the worst. He'd just passed Nathan and Peyton doing some kind of crazy dance, having a lot of fun and he envied their lack of inhibition. He was having a lot of fun with Haley, but something wasn't clicking romantically. He hoped that once he kissed her that would all change. Haley was perfect for him. She was sweet, beautiful, intelligent and lovely. Any man would be lucky to have a girl like Haley in his arms.

Haley searched the crowd for Brooke and found her curled up in Jake's arms. She grinned, remembering all the times from high school that Brooke would spend with Jake, because he was the only guy who didn't treat her like a sex object or someone to gossip about or spread rumours about. Brooke had been curling up on Jake's lap for the past ten years. There had been a brief period when she'd stopped, after Peyton and Jake had gotten together, but after Peyton had laughed at Brooke's objections, Brooke had gone back to settling herself on his lap when she wanted male comfort. Looking around, she spotted Peyton and Nathan performing something that she supposed would be called dancing, but looked more like they were having a strange fit of spasms. She caught Nathan's eye and he winked at her. She waved back, grinning stupidly.

When they'd worn themselves out, Peyton and Nathan returned to the table.

"Is this something I should be wary about?" Nathan raised his eyebrow and looked at Brooke and Jake with a twinkle in his eye.

"Actually, yes. Brooke and I have decided to run away together," Jake said, straight-faced.

"That's a good plan, except we'd kill each other before we crossed a state line," Brooke sighed.

"I'd best stick with Peyton then," Jake grinned.

"I'm always second best," Peyton sighed, before chuckling.

Brooke gave Jake a kiss on the cheek before getting up. "You'll always be first with me, Pey," she hugged her friend. "I'm just going to freshen up," Brooke told Nathan before she headed for the ladies.

"I'm sorry, mate, but I'm going to steal my girlfriend for a dance before midnight," Jake took Peyton's hand and twirled her towards the dance floor. Nathan laughed at their antics before sitting down and waiting for Brooke to return. He'd had a lot of fun dancing with Peyton, and she and Jake were a great couple. They knew each other inside out and they trusted each other with a strength that Nathan found admirable.

Lucas watched Brooke head towards the ladies room. He didn't have long left to talk to her before the ball dropped at midnight, and he really wanted to make amends with her before the New Year.

"Haley, I'm just going to apologise to Brooke, okay? I want to clean my slate before the New Year," he grinned at her. "Why don't you ask Nathan to dance? I think he's only danced to one song all night."

Haley nodded, avoiding his eyes. The thought of dancing with Nathan made her palms sweat and caused goosebumps across her arms. She was having fun with Lucas, but there was something about Nathan that made her heart beat a little faster. Crossing the floor, she stopped by Nathan, who smiled up at her.

"Um, Lucas has gone to have a word with Brooke. He suggested I come over and ask you to dance, since you haven't really danced tonight," Haley babbled.

Nathan blinked, before standing up and offering his hand to Haley. "I'd be delighted," he smiled at her before leading her to the dance floor.

"I can't dance like Peyton," Haley smiled up at him.

Nathan chuckled. "I don't think anyone can dance like Peyton. That girl is one of a kind!"

"She is," Haley agreed as Nathan swept her across the floor to the slow song that had just started.

Haley was amazed to find that Nathan was an excellent dancer. He led her around the floor in time to the music, before stopping and swaying her gently to the beat.

"You look like you've been having fun," he murmured as Haley fought to lay her head on his broad chest.

"I've had a lovely night," Haley murmured in response.

Their bodies slowed to almost a standstill as Nathan gazed down at Haley, a small smile on his face.

"Nathan?" Haley asked hesitantly.

He brought his hand up to stroke her hair, before gently guiding her to lean on him. Sighing, she rested her head against his body and they continued to sway gently.

"I know," Nathan sighed.

"I don't know what's happening," Haley whispered.

"Me neither," Nathan returned. "It's probably just the atmosphere, right?"

"Right," Haley agreed quietly. "Can we just stay here a bit longer?"

"Yeah," Nathan breathed.

Lucas waited patiently for Brooke to emerge from the restroom. Checking his watch, he frowned as he realised there were only ten minutes left of the old year. Seconds later, he saw Brooke appear. Not giving her a chance to escape, he moved quickly and grabbed her hand. She looked up in shock, only to frown when she realised who he was. He pulled her towards the dance floor before she could protest and dragged her into his arms.

"Hey," his lips twitched.

"What are you doing, Lucas?" Brooke glared at him whilst refusing to move.

"I'm trying to dance with a pretty girl," Lucas tried a smile, only to receive a fiercer glare from her.

"Lucas," Brooke's voice was low and ominous.

"I wanted to apologise to you, Brooke," Lucas admitted. "Now, please dance with me?"

Brooke narrowed her eyes before consenting to let Lucas guide her slowly around the dance floor.

"You were right to shout at me last week. I completely deserved it. I was being a jerk and you didn't deserve anything I said to you," Lucas stared intently at Brooke, who refused to look at him.

"No, I didn't," she muttered.

"I've been played by my fair share of girls, Brooke," Lucas admitted quietly. "I've become immune and bitter towards a certain type of girl, and I wrongly judged you to be one of those girls."

Brooke felt herself melting towards Lucas, but she fought to stay rigid. "I'm not promiscuous, or immoral or slutty," she gritted.

"I know," Lucas winced, seeing the pain on Brooke's face. "I'm sorry, Brooke. I truly am."

"I've put up with that crap all my life, Lucas. None of its true," Brooke finally looked up at him, hurting.

"I know," he murmured as he brought her closer to him. She put her head against his chest and sighed.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you in the middle of the road," Brooke said quietly.

"I deserved it," Lucas chuckled softly as he stroked her hair.

They stopped at the edge of the dance floor, barely moving, Brooke safe in Lucas' arms.

"You're not so bad, Lucas Scott," Brooke smiled softly against his tuxedo.

"And you are lovely, Brooke," Lucas smiled. "You really do look breathtaking in that dress."

Brooke fought a blush. "I do not," she argued.

"You do too," Lucas murmured as he continued to stroke her hair and sway her gently.

Mandy grinned as she surveyed the room. She'd snagged a nice bachelor hours earlier and he'd gone to get her a drink in time for the New Year. Peyton and Jake were wrapped in each others arms, grinning idiotically at each other in the middle of the dance floor. Nathan had his arms wrapped around Haley on one side of the room and they were lost in the moment. Lucas was holding Brooke as if he never wanted to let her go on the other side of the room, and Brooke wasn't exactly fighting him off. There was only a minute to go until the ball dropped. Everyone was with the person they were meant to be with, in Mandy's opinion.

The countdown began, jolting the couples out of their dazes.

Peyton grabbed Jake and brought him down to give him a big smacker.

Nathan gazed down at Haley, confusion in both their eyes. They moved closer, pulled by an invisible thread. Nathan lowered his head as Haley reached up. His mouth covered hers gently, without pressure or demand. A simple, sweet kiss that left Haley shaking and more confused than ever.

Lucas looked around, having forgotten all about the approaching midnight. He reached down, tucked his hand under her chin and tilted Brooke's head up. He read the bewilderment and uncertainty in her eyes. He was feeling something he hadn't felt with Haley all night.

"It's tradition, right?" he murmured as he lowered his head.

"Right," Brooke murmured as she lifted hers.

His mouth slanted across hers and Brooke trembled. Her mouth opened involuntarily and Lucas groaned. He fought himself but he deepened the kiss. Brooke kissed him back, lost entirely in the moment. They remained locked for an age, before the cheering and streamers broke them apart.

Brooke looked up at him, horror in her eyes. "Oh God, Lucas, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that! You're with Haley!"

Brooke's eyes filled with tears before she spun away from him and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Lucas staring after her.

*

Brooke stood looking into the mirror, carefully wiping away the tears that had stained her cheeks while trying simultaneously to stem the tears that kept falling. The eyes that looked back at her looked haunted, the face looked fearful and the body shook with a mixture of emotions too complex for Brooke to think about. Her lips wouldn't stop tingling from the feel of Lucas' lips and the memory was killing her. She'd done the very thing she'd sworn to herself, and more recently, Lucas, that she'd never do. She'd betrayed her best friend for a guy.

After the squeak signalling the door opening, Brooke found herself enveloped in a big hug. She knew it was Mandy without even looking, and she wept in her friend's arms.

"Brookie, you better not be crying over that boy Lucas," Mandy whispered forcefully.

"I'm not," Brooke's voice trembled. "I'm crying because I betrayed my bestest friend in the whole world."

Mandy bit her tongue. She'd seen Lucas kiss Brooke, but she'd also seen Nathan kiss Haley. Although she was perfectly aware of who should be with whom, she wasn't sure any of the four of them were ready to come to terms with what she knew.

"Brooke, honey, you two kissed at New Year. Billions of people do that all around the world at midnight. It's a tradition," Mandy said softly, stroking Brooke's hair.

Brooke wiped another tear away. "That's what Lucas said, just before we … kissed," Brooke stumbled over the words.

"Well, there you go, then. I bet Lucas thought it was just a kiss between friends, or two people trying to be friends, for the sake of tradition," Mandy crossed her fingers.

Brooke lifted her head and stared at Mandy. "You mean … he probably thought it was just a normal New Years kiss and I reacted like some kind of lunatic?" Brooke asked in horror.

Mandy winced. "It's possible," she said, finally.

"Oh God, I'm such an idiot! He probably thinks I'm a complete fool," Brooke collapsed against the wall for support. "Overreacting to a simple kiss," she groaned.

Mandy sighed silently. From what she saw after she'd finished kissing her bachelor, there was nothing simple about Lucas' kiss. But for the moment, Brooke needed to stop blaming herself for something that wasn't anyone's fault, and Haley needed to let Brooke know that she liked Nathan so that Brooke could admit that she liked Lucas.

God, this was confusing.

Brooke took a deep breath before looking into the mirror and fixing her makeup with Mandy's help. Smiling tremulously at Mandy, Brooke held her head up high and walked out of the restroom.

Spotting Nathan sitting at the same table with Haley, Lucas, Peyton and Jake, she glided towards him, a smile hovering on her lips. Determinedly ignoring Lucas, she stopped next to Nathan and held out her hand. "I owe you a few dances," she winked at him.

Nathan cast a nervous glance at Haley, who was avoiding catching his eye. "Sure," he grinned weakly at Brooke before taking her hand and leading her towards the dance floor.

"I'm so sorry I haven't danced with you before," Brooke smiled as Nathan guided her around the floor.

"That's okay, Brooke. I've had a really good time tonight," Nathan said honestly.

"Me too," Brooke smiled sadly. "But the night is young, and so is this year. Are you making any resolutions this year?"

Nathan glanced over towards where Haley was chatting to Peyton before looking down at the beautiful girl in his arms. "I made a few. One of them was to become financially independent this year. Lucas has been working towards it for the last few years, but I've come to realise that I need to work harder so we can achieve it. The other is to find happiness," he murmured, looking at Brooke, hoping to feel something deeper than a very strong closeness to her. After all, his brother was falling for Haley and he wouldn't come between that anymore than he had already, despite how he felt about Haley, and how she seemed to feel about him for that brief moment out of time.

"Me too," Brooke murmured as she rested her head against his chest. It wasn't as broad as Lucas' chest, and she didn't feel as comfortable as she had when she danced with Nathan's brother, but she kept hoping that somehow the two of them would click. After all, Haley had finally fallen for someone, and she wouldn't cause Haley anymore hurt than she had already, despite how she'd felt when Lucas had kissed her. And Nathan seemed to think she could make him happy. Maybe if she tried her hardest, it would come true.

"Where were you at midnight?" Nathan murmured, hoping that he could be the person who could bring Brooke happiness, since she deserved it.

Brooke missed a step but recovered quickly. "Oh, Lucas wanted to apologise for being an ass towards me. We put everything behind us with a quick kiss on the cheek at midnight," Brooke screwed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers, hating the lie. "I'm sorry I wasn't with you."

"That's okay," Nathan winced. "I danced with Haley, since we were both alone. We forgot midnight was approaching and shared an awkward peck too," he grimaced at the white lie.

"We ended up with the wrong people at midnight," Brooke forced a dry chuckle, while her heart silently broke.

"Yeah," Nathan murmured as they glided across the floor.

"Would you like to dance?" Lucas asked Haley after he'd been watching Nathan and Brooke for a while.

"Sure," Haley nodded.

Lucas guided them around the dancing couples, keeping his eye on Brooke's swirling blue dress.

"I'm sorry I abandoned you at midnight," Lucas apologised. "Brooke and I were still talking when suddenly midnight appeared."

"Its okay, Lucas," Haley smiled up at him. "Nathan looked after me." Haley turned her head and groaned inwardly. She couldn't think about Nathan. He wanted Brooke, her best friend. She'd kissed him in a moment of madness that wouldn't be repeated. It was an aberration, that's all.

"Good," Lucas said softly. "Are you having a good time?"

"Oh, Lucas, this night has been magical," Haley sighed, her mind flicking back to midnight before she could stop herself.

"Have you made any resolutions this year?" Lucas asked as he lost sight of Brooke for a second. He needed to talk to her, to let her know that she hadn't needed to run away from him.

"To become more confident and go after what I really want," Haley cringed at her own words. What she really wanted at this moment was to be with Nathan, to explore the moment they'd shared earlier, but she knew she'd never be able to repeat that moment. "What about you?"

"I want to find happiness," Lucas murmured, catching sight of Brooke again. "Real happiness which will last a lifetime."

Haley sighed. She hoped Lucas would find that happiness, because he was a really nice guy and she felt closer to him than she'd felt to any guy in a long time. Since Bryan. Maybe she could learn to give him that happiness.

"That sounds nice," she whispered.

Lucas sighed. That moment at midnight had caught both him and Brooke by surprise. He hadn't meant to deepen the kiss, and she hadn't meant to kiss him back, he was sure of it. But at the same time, he'd been helpless to resist her. Five minutes earlier, he wasn't sure he liked her, but then their lips had met and the rest of the world had disappeared, leaving only the two of them.

But she was with Nathan, and he was with Haley. Even if he broke things off with Haley, Nathan was still his brother, and Nathan liked Brooke. All he could do was tell Brooke that she'd done nothing wrong and then stay away from her before he was tempted to break all the rules for her.

The four of them continued to spin around the dance floor, lost in their own thoughts.

*

Haley groaned as she tried to open her eyes. Her feet ached, her arm was numb and her head was throbbing. Trying to focus on the ceiling, she remembered that her feet were aching from hours of dancing. The numb arm she could blame on the way she'd slept. The reason for her throbbing head however, was escaping her. Maybe the person groaning next to her would be able to fill her in.

"Brooke!" Haley whispered as loudly as she could with her headache.

"Wha-?" Brooke winced as she held her head.

"Why does my head hurt?" Haley whined.

"Blame Jake," Brooke groaned as she tried to look at Haley, giving up as the pain shot past her eyes.

"Jake?" Haley tried to remember where they'd ended up last night. "I remember being at the party. I remember midnight," Haley blinked and the memory of Nathan's lips on hers darted across her vision. "I remember coming back here in the limo, and Lucas and Nathan came up as well. What happened after that?"

"Jake encouraged Mandy to steal a few bottles of champagne from the party," Brooke groaned. "You don't remember smuggling a bottle out under your jacket?"

Haley groaned and turned onto her side so she could look at Brooke. "No," she sighed. "Bastard."

"Exactly. Yours truly and yourself made quite the spectacle of ourselves. Remember our little version of 'I Will Always Love You?" Brooke closed her eyes and sighed.

"Oh god. Please tell me we didn't!" Haley groaned.

"We did," Brooke informed her.

"In front of Lucas and Nathan?" Haley whimpered.

"In front of Lucas and Nathan," Brooke sighed.

"Are they still here?" Haley shot up in bed and squeaked, before the pain in her head reminded her why she'd been laying down in the first place.

"I think so. The last thing I remember was Jake carrying you to bed, and they were still here then. And since we're sharing a bed …" Brooke shrugged.

"Do you think there's any chance that I can sneak into the shower before Lucas gets up and sees me?" Haley looked at Brooke hopefully.

"Well, let me just put my X-Ray glasses on and check where they are," Brooke deadpanned.

Haley glared at her. "Aren't you worried about Nathan seeing you without your makeup on, with your hair in a mess and wearing your old sweatpants and the Tigger t-shirt I gave you ten years ago?"

"I think you mean, am I worried about Nathan seeing me fresh-faced and natural, with my tousled locks and my endearingly cute pyjamas," Brooke nodded, giggling. "And the answer is no. If Nathan wants a perfect, plastic clone, it's better that I know now instead of two years down the line."

"So, you think you'll be with him that long?" Haley asked, avoiding Brooke's gaze and fiddling with the blanket in front of her.

"Who knows?" Brooke said, airily. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to sit up. "What about you and Lucas? You seem to get on really well."

"We do," Haley smiled. "How strange would it be if we ended up with two brothers?"

"Yeah," Brooke laughed feebly. "Strange."

"Well, if you don't care about Nathan seeing you like that, I'm not going to worry about Lucas seeing me like this," Haley gestured towards herself, trying to hide a grimace.

"I think we should get up and make Jake pay," Brooke whined as she stood up, wobbling.

"Dearly," Haley growled faintly as Brooke helped her up.

Propping each other up, the aching pair helped each other to the door. Giggling, Haley balanced on Brooke as she tried to open the door. Unsurprisingly, the girls toppled over and fell on the floor, laughing uncontrollably as they decided that there was no way they could get up again.

"Hey Pey!" Brooke giggled from the floor.

"Hey Brooke, Hales. How are you feeling?" Peyton grinned as she fed Jenny her breakfast.

"We're feeling on top of the world," Haley laughed.

"Oh yeah, and we want to kill your boyfriend," Brooke giggled.

"Why's that?" Jake emerged from the kitchen, a pan of scrambled eggs in his hand and a grin on his face.

"Oh, don't think you can get round us with some eggs, mister!" Haley narrowed her eyes and stared at him from her place on the floor.

"Hales, I want some eggs," Brooke whined, staring longingly at the pan in Jake's hand.

"Shh! He needs to pay. We'll get more than just eggs," Haley whispered.

"Jaaaaake?" Brooke whined. "Can you help us up?"

"Sorry Brookie, I'm cooking your breakfast," Jake grinned.

"Hales!" Brooke glared at the girl lying haphazardly across her.

"It was worth a try," Haley shrugged. "Pey?"

"I've got my hands full with Jenny, sorry guys," Peyton grinned as she played aeroplanes with Jenny.

"Mandy?" Brooke asked hopefully.

"She left hours ago, Brooke," Peyton laughed. "She kidnapped the limo and convinced the chauffeur to drive her home."

"I guess there's only one thing for it," Haley sighed.

"LUCAS!" "NATHAN!"

Nathan's form appeared in Brooke's doorway. Raising his eyebrows, he grinned at the sight of them.

"Lucas? I think the girls need us," he leaned back and called to his brother.

Lucas appeared behind his brother, an identical grin on his face. "Well, if it isn't the Divas."

Haley and Brooke groaned. "It's all Jakes fault!" Haley whined. "He knows that we go all Whitney on champagne!"

A splutter came from the kitchen, and the girls aimed their glares at the noise.

"I guess we better help them, or they'll stay there all day," Lucas shrugged as they moved towards the girls.

Standing either side of the heap, the boys contemplated how to detangle them. "If you pick up Haley, I can slide Brooke out," Lucas frowned, his head to one side. "Then you can carry Brooke and I'll get Haley."

"Wouldn't it make more sense for Nathan to pick up Haley and you pick up Brooke?" Peyton asked innocently. "I mean, since Nathan's next to Haley and you're next to Brooke?"

Nathan shrugged. Lucas nodded.

Bending down, Nathan unravelled Haley's leg from Brooke's arm. Scooping her up into his arms gingerly, he carefully walked slowly towards the couch, savouring the feel of her in his arms, careful not to hurt her. Haley kept her gaze on the floor, secretly relishing the feel of Nathan's arms around her. As he bent to lower her onto the couch, he whispered in her ear, "You're a cute drunk." Winking, he sat next to her. Grinning, Haley turned to watch Brooke and Lucas.

"OW!" Brooke whined as Lucas put his arm under her.

"Brooke, how can I pick you up without putting my arm under you?" Lucas asked patiently.

"But it hurts!" Brooke pouted at him.

"Suck it up," Lucas muttered.

"I heard that!" Brooke glared at him.

"You were meant to," Lucas glared at her.

"Don't worry, I'll just lie here today," Brooke pursed her lips.

Peyton, Jake and Nathan started laughing. Lucas' lips started twitching.

"What?" Brooke glared at them.

"You said the exact same thing last night when Lucas tried to carry you to bed," Peyton giggled.

Brooke's eyes shot to Lucas' face. He looked down impassively at her. Confusion and hurt looked up at him. Sighing, he knew he had to talk to Brooke about what happened between them. He didn't want her to be hurt.

Lucas slid his arm underneath her body again, this time without protest from Brooke. She slid her arms around his neck and he lifted her up.

"Lucas? I need to get something from my room. Do you mind?" Brooke bit her lip.

Lucas sighed as he turned around and carried her into her bedroom. "I only carried you to bed last night because Jake carried Haley and Nathan was helping Peyton with Jenny," he told her before she got carried away.

Brooke stared at him. "Am I that repulsive?"

"What? No! I thought you were angry with me for taking you to bed. Not taking you to bed, carrying you to bed. Hell, you know what I mean," Lucas cursed.

"I know what you mean," Brooke told him as she fumbled around for her brush to detangle the mess her hair had gotten into.

"Look, about last night, Brooke," Lucas started.

"Can we not talk about it please? I just want to forget that it ever happened," Brooke pleaded with him.

"But …" Lucas tried again.

"Lucas? Please. I don't want to talk about. You proved your point; I'm just the girl you always thought I was. You win. The end," Brooke whispered.

"Brooke, you're not the girl I thought you were. Last night was just … a midnight kiss. A kiss between friends as the New Year arrived. Nothing more, nothing less. I know you're not the girl I accused you of being," Lucas tried to make her understand.

_A kiss between friends … Nothing more, nothing less._

A secret emotion, hidden deep inside of Brooke died. Nothing more, nothing less. The words echoed in her mind. Of course there was nothing more to it. Lucas was Nathan's brother, for gods sake. Haley liked Lucas. Brooke chastised herself and she grew more determined to make things work with Nathan, who seemed to like her, for some reason.

Smiling brightly, Brooke held out her arms, indicating for Lucas to pick her up again. "No hard feelings?"

"None whatsoever," Lucas smiled as he picked her up. He carried her through the door and towards the couch, taking his time, making sure that he didn't cause her any more pain. He'd noticed last night that she fitted perfectly in his arms, once again. Whether he was dancing with her or carrying her, she was at home in his arms. Leaning down, he gently placed her on the couch, next to Jenny. "You're a cute Whitney," he whispered in her ear, winking at her before sitting down next to her.

"Breakfast is served!" Jake came into the den, followed by Peyton, each carrying plates of scrambled eggs and toast.

"Jake, all is forgiven," Brooke groaned as she took a plate from him and tucked in hungrily.

"Haley?" Jake handed her a plate with a wink.

"I guess," she grumbled as she took the plate. "You have to get me a really great birthday present though."

"I can manage that," Jake grinned as he sat on the floor and started his own breakfast.

"When's your birthday, Haley?" Lucas asked.

"Next week," Peyton answered for her. "We normally go out for dinner on our birthdays. You two are more than welcome."

Nathan and Lucas laughed as Haley and Brooke glared at their friend.

"What? They've witnessed your Whitney, they deserve a nice meal to make up for it," Peyton grinned.

"We'd love to come," Lucas smiled at Haley, who smiled back at him.

"Great. Don't forget to buy a really great present," Brooke grinned. "Something I can borrow would be the best present."

Haley and Peyton threw cushions at a giggling Brooke, who threw them straight back. An impromptu cushion fight ensued, with Brooke losing against the two girls.

"Are they always like this?" Nathan asked Jake as he watched Haley launch herself at Brooke.

"Ever since they were thirteen. And Haley and Brooke, even earlier," Jake told them. "Excuse me; I think Brooke needs my help."

The brothers watched as Jake grabbed his girlfriend and began tickling her.

"That's cheating!" Haley cried before she threw a cushion at Brooke.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lucas asked his brother.

Nathan grinned before both boys grabbed their girls and began tickling them. The attack turned into a boys vs. girls battle, which ended in abandonment when Haley and Brooke fell to the floor and refused to move because of the pain in their limbs.

The boys made their goodbye's soon after, with promises of large gifts for Haley's birthday.

As Jake and Peyton began preparing lunch, Haley turned to Brooke, who was laying on the floor next to her.

"You know, it's strange but I haven't kissed Lucas yet. I wasn't with him at New Year, and I couldn't give him a goodbye kiss just now," Haley told Brooke.

"I haven't kissed Nathan either," Brooke frowned.

"Strange," Haley murmured again.

*

"When was the last time you went shopping for a girl?" Nathan frowned as he watched Lucas stare blankly at the shops ahead of them.

"I assume Mom doesn't count," Lucas said ruefully.

"Not even close to counting," Nathan looked around, sharing Lucas' blank look.

"I think I was thirteen and I bought Katy Polson a teddy bear," Lucas grinned. "What about you? You must have bought Carly something, at least."

"Actually, Carly and I have this arrangement where I take her out for every occasion I'm meant to remember. She books the restaurant, she calls me and lets me know when and where, and most importantly, why," Nathan grinned.

"How did you end up with a best friend like Carly?" Lucas shook his head. "Maybe you should ask her to come and help us," Lucas asked hopefully.

Nathan shook his head. "Sadly, she's been completely incognito lately. It must be that new guy she's seeing."

"Maybe we should drop into where Brooke works and see if she can help us?" Lucas asked.

"Isn't that cheating?" Nathan grinned.

"We've only known Haley for a few weeks," Lucas laughed. "It's not cheating; it's the plan of a genius!"

"Okay, well she works in a place called Rueful," Nathan recalled. "Do you know where it is?"

Lucas stared at him.

"Okay, I'll take that as a no," Nathan grinned. "I'm sure it's around here somewhere. You take the left side, I'll take the right."

Ten minutes later and the boys were standing outside Rueful. Nathan placed his hands on the window and peered in. He watched Brooke laughing at Mandy, who seemed to be miming some kind of singer.

"Come on, maybe we can steal Brooke to come with us," Nathan smirked.

Lucas sighed. Yeah, just what he wanted, to spend a few hours playing gooseberry to Nathan and Brooke.

"Nathan! Lucas! What are you doing here?" Brooke tried to stop giggling.

"They clearly heard my rendition of your Whitney impression and they couldn't stay away," Mandy chuckled.

Brooke blushed as the boys laughed.

"When did you and Haley start doing that?" Nathan asked Brooke before walking towards her and brushing a kiss against her flaming cheek whilst Lucas looked away.

"The first time we had a drink, which was champagne" Brooke pulled a face. "Peyton and Jake, being a lot more sober than us, walked us home. Haley and I decided that we should start a group, called the Tree Hill Honeyz, that's with a Z by the way. Jake suggested we start practising by singing 'I Will Always Love You." It was so horrendous that we scared some cats away."

"But Haley's a great singer," Lucas pointed out.

"Yeah, she wasn't the horrendous part," Brooke stuck her tongue out at him. "But through the years, we've perfected our own, awful cover of the song which we shamelessly screech whenever we've had too much champagne."

"Something I exploit at every opportunity," Mandy called from the back where she was helping a woman in the fitting rooms.

"But that's not why you dropped in," Brooke smiled at Nathan.

"We were attempting to shop for Haley's birthday present," Nathan grinned. "We thought we'd try to kidnap you, since we're short of time."

"Well, yeah, since the table's booked for …" Brooke checked her watch, "Four hours time!"

"It's not like we haven't already looked," Nathan sighed. "We're just not really great at gift shopping."

"I guess I could skip work a bit early. Plus, you're going to need the practise for the real thing," Brooke grinned.

"What's the real thing?" Nathan asked, puzzled.

"My birthday!" Brooke giggled. "You have a month until my birthday, and then there's Valentine's Day too."

Nathan and Lucas shot each other a terrified look. "Valentine's Day?" Lucas groaned.

"Yes, Valentine's Day. The Day of Lovers," Brooke winked at the boys before disappearing round the corner.

"These girls are going to keep us on our toes," Nathan groaned.

"I guess it was just a matter of time before it happened to us," Lucas pulled a face.

"At least we're in it together," Nathan grinned at his brother.

Brooke reappeared with her jacket and bag. "Right guys," she laughed as they stepped outside. "Let's go shop!"

She linked arms with both men and led them into the crowd.

An hour later found the two men sprawled out in a café, while Brooke brought them coffee.

"God, I never want to do that ever again," Nathan groaned as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Me neither. Shopping is the Devil's work," Lucas muttered as he flexed his fingers.

"You two have a long way to go," Brooke grinned as she put the tray down on the table. "But at least you've both bought Haley something that she'll love."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked, nervous. As an adult, he'd never bought a girl a gift before. He'd never really stayed with a girl long enough to get to her birthday or Christmas. Or Valentines Day, he thought with disgust.

"Positive," Brooke patted his arm, forcing herself not to retract her hand at the feel of his skin.

"And Nathan's choice was positively inspired," Brooke winked at Nathan, who fought a blush.

"I just saw it and thought she'd like it," Nathan said, slightly defensive.

"And she will," Brooke slipped her hand into his. "Now hurry up and drink these coffees so you can walk me home and still have plenty of time to spruce yourselves up for tonight."

"Are we going to a fancy restaurant?" Lucas grimaced.

"Yes we are!" Brooke scowled at him. "It's Haley's birthday! We may not have lots of spare cash, but we always splash out on birthdays and Christmas."

"So it's a suit and tie kind of evening?" Nathan chuckled.

"Your Sunday Best, fellas!" Brooke practised her best Southern Belle accent.

"What time should we pick you up?" Nathan asked as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs.

"About seven-ish," Brooke gathered her things and stood up, the guys following her lead.

Slipping her hand into Nathan's nervously, Brooke led them towards her apartment. "Luke, you should wear a blue shirt, so you match Haley," she glanced up at him and smiled slightly before turning to Nathan. "And you should wear a white shirt, to match me."

"Thanks for the warning," Nathan grinned.

"Well, since we're going fancy tonight, I don't want you two to show us girls up," Brooke laughed.

"We wouldn't dream of it," Lucas winked at her.

"I'm glad to hear it," Brooke giggled as she stopped outside her door.

"We'll be by to pick you up at 7," Nathan assured her as he bent to kiss her cheek once again.

"I can't wait," Brooke grinned widely at both of them. "Bye Nathan, Lucas. Don't forget, blue and white!" she smirked before closing the door.

Lucas and Nathan turned around and headed towards home.

"Your present for Haley is really good," Lucas lifted his eyebrow as he looked at Nathan.

"I just remembered her talking about it on New Years Eve," Nathan shrugged. "You can give it to her if you like."

"Dude, no," Lucas laughed. "You should get all the credit for that."

"What color shirt was I meant to wear?" Nathan paused and looked at Lucas.

"You didn't remember?" Lucas asked, groaning.

"I thought you'd remember!" Nathan shook his head.

"I thought you'd remember!" Lucas frowned.

"Well, it was definitely blue and white," Nathan started walking again, slowly.

"I guess we have a fifty-fifty chance in getting it right," Lucas bit his lip as he tried not to laugh.

"Dammit!" Nathan laughed as he opened the door to their apartment. "You're meant to remember stuff like this!"

*

"Dude, we are so smart!" Nathan high-fived Lucas as they waited for someone to come to the door, both wearing self-satisfied grins.

"Come in," Jake sighed as he opened the door, smiling wearily.

"Not again?" Lucas frowned.

"It's a ritual you'll get used to. Especially you, Nathan," Jake grinned at the dark-haired man.

"It's a good thing Brooke's really hot, smart and fun," Nathan muttered, as Jake and Lucas laughed at him.

"So, did the two of you color-coordinate on purpose?" Jake asked as he led them upstairs.

Lucas chuckled. "Brooke warned us what color shirts to wear, but we forgot who was meant to wear which colour."

"That's some smart thinking," Jake said admiringly as he scooped a cranky Jenny into his arms, soothing her instantly.

"It was Lucas' idea, he's the smart one," Nathan nudged his brother as Jake hummed softly to his daughter.

"You're gonna need to be with those two," Jake winked at his daughter who giggled conspiratorially.

The door opened and Brooke stepped into the den, wearing a pair of fitted black satin trousers and a white halter-neck top with a diamante pattern. With her dark hair swept up into a chignon and simple jewellery adorning her neck and ears, Brooke looked both elegant and sexy.

"I think we should all appreciate that I'm the first one ready," Brooke winked at Jake who laughed.

"Hey Nathan," Brooke stepped towards him and brushed his cheek with a kiss. "Lucas," Brooke turned to him and after a slight hesitation, repeated the action.

"You look gorgeous," Nathan told her, his eyes roaming her appreciatively.

"Very pretty, isn't she, Jenny?" Jake held his daughter up for Brooke to hold.

Jenny immediately snuggled into her favoured position in Brooke's arms.

Brooke grinned wickedly. "Thank you, kind sirs," she curtsied for them. Turning to Lucas, she licked her lips and grinned mischievously at him, her eyebrows raised.

"You look lovely, Brooke," Lucas said softly, watching as she blushed prettily before biting her lip and turning back to Jake and Nathan.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your shirts," Brooke chuckled as she stroked Jenny's soft hair. "You forgot, didn't you?"

Lucas and Nathan looked at each other.

"No at all!"

"No way!"

"These were the only clean shirts we had …"

"We don't have plain shirts …"

Brooke and Jake stared at them before dissolving into laughter.

"Pitiful, gentlemen. And you were doing so well," Jake shook his head.

"Blue and white checked shirt for one, blue and white stripped shirt for the other," Brooke mused. "It was a good try."

Peyton emerged dressed in a deep ruby dress.

"Hey beautiful," Jake murmured as he bent to kiss her.

"Hey yourself," she murmured in return. "Nathan, Lucas," she greeted.

"Peyton, you look stunning," Lucas smiled in greeting.

"I second that," Nathan grinned.

"A girl could get used to this," Peyton teased them.

"Is Haley ready?" Brooke called from the kitchen, where she soon emerged with a breadstick in her mouth.

"Brooke!" Peyton admonished.

"I haven't eaten all day! I've existed on coffee and juice," Brooke pouted.

"Hmm," Peyton frowned. "Haley should be out in a moment. Did you guys get her something spectacular?" she winked at the boys.

"They did," Brooke mumbled with the breadstick still in her mouth.

"You look so hot," Nathan laughed as he watched her. In truth, he'd never seen her look more beautiful, with crumbs around her mouth, one of her shoes on and the other dangling from her free hand while she teetered between the kitchen and the den.

"Watch it, mister," Brooke warned him, giggling as she waved her arms around, trying to find a balance.

Being the nearest to her, Lucas put out his arm and Brooke caught hold of it, glancing up at him gratefully before leaning against him whilst she put her other shoe on. Patting his arm, she smiled gently at him before moving away to stand closer to Nathan.

Lucas looked away.

Brooke stared at the floor.

The door opened and Haley emerged, looking a vision in a baby blue dress.

No-one moved. No-one spoke.

Haley fiddled with her dress, looking nervous.

"Happy Birthday, Haley," Jake stepped forward and swept her into a big hug.

Giggling nervously, Haley swatted at him to put her down.

"You look stunning, by the way," Jake kissed her cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Haley," Lucas bent to kiss her cheek. "You really do look beautiful."

"Thanks Lucas," Haley smiled up at him.

Brooke nudged Nathan, who hadn't moved.

"You look lovely, Hales," Nathan stared into her eyes.

"Thanks Nathan," Haley's cheeks were tinged with pink.

"Well, now that we've all been swept off our feet with all these compliments, shall we make a move?" Peyton slipped on her coat, helped by Jake.

They then bundled Jenny into a coat with matching scarf, gloves and hat, whilst Haley and Brooke put their own coats on.

They walked to the restaurant as it was only a few blocks away. Brooke had kidnapped Jenny and she and Nathan were laughing at Jenny's childish chattering. Jake and Peyton were deep in discussion about their future plans. Lucas and Haley were holding hands and talking about how Haley's birthday had been so far.

Once in the restaurant, they sat around a rounded table, Jenny between Jake and Brooke, Lucas between Brooke and Peyton, and Nathan between Peyton and Haley.

After ordering drinks and dinner, Brooke clapped her hands and everyone hushed.

"I'd like to wish Haley James a very wonderful and beautiful birthday, as wonderful and beautiful as she is," Brooke said softly, smiling at her best friend.

"Haley!" everyone else chorused as Haley returned Brooke's smile.

"Now, onto the most important moment of the evening … presents!" Brooke squealed.

"Brooke, you do realise its Haley's birthday and not yours, right?" Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Party pooper," Brooke muttered as she cast a dark look at Peyton.

"Pey, you know Brookie loves presents, regardless of who they're for," Jake chided his girlfriend.

"Okay," Peyton laughed. "Just stop Brooke from looking at me like that!"

"As I was saying," Brooke shot one last glare at Peyton, "It's present time!"

"Okay, we'll go first then," Jake took a wrapped box from Jenny's diaper bag and passed it to Haley.

Haley quickly unwrapped it to find vouchers to her favourite music store. "Guys, this is great!"

"I know it's not much …" Peyton began, but Haley had already jumped up and enveloped her in a hug.

"It's perfect," Haley assured her. "You totally have to come with me though and hook me up with the new bands."

"It's a date," Peyton told her before Haley returned to her seat.

"Oh, thanks Jake," Haley giggled as she got up again and hugged Jake.

"That's okay, I'm used to being forgotten," Jake whined good-naturedly.

"Your daddy's a big girl, Jenny," Brooke said to Jenny in a stage whisper.

"Your daddy is a big, strong, macho and manly man, Jenny," Jake told his daughter seriously.

Lucas chuckled before passing his present to Haley. "I hope you like this, but if you don't, you can blame Brooke. She helped me with it," Lucas glanced at Brooke mischievously, who stuck her tongue out at him.

Haley unwrapped the present to find a framed photograph of her, Brooke and Peyton at the New Year's Ball. The three of them had been sitting at a table, laughing at something and looking extremely happy. Haley stood up, tears blurring her vision as she put her arm around Lucas and Brooke, bringing them closer to her.

"Thank you so much," she whispered. "It's perfect." She kissed Lucas' cheek before straightening.

Returning to her seat, Haley swiped at her tears. Nathan moved his hand to cover hers as it lay in her lap. Haley flicked her gaze up to him but his eyes were focused on the candle that lit the table. He stroked her hand gently and tears stopped filling her eyes. With a gentle squeeze, he took his hand away, leaving Haley feeling oddly bereft.

Clearing her throat, Haley looked at Brooke, who was sitting patiently with a gift in her hands. Actually, bounding up and down with a look of excitement on her face wasn't exactly patient, but it was as patient as Brooke got at birthday parties. Haley grinned as she motioned for her present.

Haley took the gift from Nathan and found a box inside the wrapping paper. Opening the box, Haley gasped.

"Brooke, I can't take this!" Haley stared at Brooke.

"You can, and you will. I'm never going to wear it, but you love it. You used to wear it whenever we played dress-up. It was always yours, I'm just making it official," Brooke said softly.

"What is it?" Peyton asked. Haley tipped the box so she could see. "Brooke! That's your mom's favourite heirloom! She'll kill you!"

Brooke laughed dryly. "She'd have to notice that I didn't have it anymore, which would require her to spend a lot more time with me than she ever has before. The ring is Haley's, it always has been."

Haley took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her right middle finger. The fit was perfect. She moved her hand so the sapphires caught in the candlelight.

"Brooke, this is amazing. Thank you so much," Haley couldn't take her eyes off the ring.

"Well, just make sure you look after it. No dropping it down the sink, okay?" Brooke teased her.

"Will you drop that?" Haley laughed. "It didn't go down the sink, I only thought it had!"

"That was enough for my mom to go crazy, so take it off when you feel like washing the dishes," Brooke grinned.

"It's unfair that my present has to follow that," Nathan joked as everyone laughed.

"I'm sure it'll be just as perfect as all my other gifts," Haley met his gaze with a soft smile.

"I don't think it'll compare to that ring, but here you are. Happy Birthday, Hales," Nathan gave her his messily wrapped present.

Haley unwrapped the present carefully. Tissue paper protected the delicate chain at the heart of the gift. Haley delicately picked up the chain and found that it was a charm bracelet. Looking up at Nathan, she had a flashback to New Years, when she'd told Nathan that she, Brooke and Peyton had all had a charm bracelet when they were fourteen. Haley's had broken when they'd been at the beach and she'd lost all her charms. She wasn't sure why she'd told Nathan that story, except that she'd seen a woman dancing next to them wearing a charm bracelet.

This charm bracelet only had three charms on it at the moment. There was a musical cleft and two silver squares. On one of the squares were the initials NY linked together.

"For New York," Nathan murmured.

On the other square there were three letters entwined. H, B and P.

"Haley, Brooke and Peyton," Nathan murmured.

Haley stared at him. "Nate …"

*

A loud crash made both Haley and Nathan jump. Turning their heads, they saw Jenny giggling at her father, who was trying to clear the mess his daughter had caused by throwing her cup across the table.

Haley turned back and found Nathan was looking at her. Blushing, she said softly, "Thank you, Nate. This means so much to me."

"It was nothing, Hales, really," he smiled at her before reaching across the table to upright a fallen glass.

"It wasn't nothing," Haley murmured so quietly that Nathan didn't hear her.

Whilst the others tried to put the table settings back together, Peyton leaned over to Jake and whispered, "Is it just me, or was that charm bracelet the kind of thing a boyfriend buys his girlfriend?"

Jake looked across his girlfriend to where Nathan was picking up a fallen glass. His gaze moved to Haley, who was fingering the bracelet, a little smile playing on her lips.

"Uh-oh," Jake muttered.

Peyton sighed and sat back in her chair. Nothing good could come from this little development.

"So," Brooke said brightly. "No-one gives Jenny anything she can throw, okay?"

"You're the one who said we should bring her, that she was so well-behaved and that she looked so pretty in her dress," Jake mock-glared at her.

"Well, she did," Brooke defended herself with a pout. "Oh look, here's the food," she changed the subject quickly.

"I'd like to propose another toast before we begin," Peyton announced after their food was served. "I'd like to say that I'm very lucky to have Haley in my life. She and Brooke are my sisters, and without either of them I'd be totally lost," Peyton smiled at them both. "And I'd like to let you both know that, if you'll have us, we'd like to extend our stay with you. Indefinitely," Peyton and Jake grinned as Brooke and Haley squealed.

"And, because I've mentioned everyone else, I'd like to say to Lucas and Nathan, that it's been fun getting to know you both. It was a bit of a surprise, finding that these two had actually ventured back into the world of dating, but after meeting you, I think they made some wise choices. Lucas, you're the perfect match for Haley, you're so similar, it's a little scary! And Nathan, I never thought I'd see the day that someone could measure up to Brooke, but you do. Which is, again, a little scary," Peyton grinned.

"In conclusion to this ridiculously long toast," Peyton said ruefully, "Here's to old friends, and new."

"Old friends and new!" Everyone echoed.

"Pey, what's up with you? Since when do you go all sappy?" Brooke asked as she heartily tucked into her food.

"It happens, occasionally," Peyton stuck her tongue out at her before starting her own meal.

"It was really sweet," Haley told her.

"It was nice of you to include us," Nathan told her, a light in his eye.

"It's strange how quickly and easily you've fitted into our lives," Peyton told him with a smile. "Almost like it was meant to be."

"Okay, Peyton? You're totally freaking me out," Brooke told her with a mouth full of chicken. "Where's the real Peyton?"

"I'm just feeling a little sentimental, Brookie. I'm sure I'll be back to my usual, broody self tomorrow," Peyton grinned.

"You better be," Brooke mumbled.

"Give her a break, Brooke," Jake said before swiping some of Brooke's chicken from her plate.

"Hey!" Brooke stared at Jake, her mouth hanging open. "Eat your own food!"

"But it looked so good," Jake smacked his lips. "Tasted even better."

Brooke watched another piece of chicken disappear from her plate.

"Luke!" Brooke swivelled and glared at him.

"Sorry," Lucas said with a grin. "But he made it sound so appetising!"

"Fine," Brooke pursed her lips before stabbing her fork and taking a piece of steak from Lucas' plate.

"Nice?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, actually," Brooke frowned as she eyed his plate.

"You wanna swap?" Lucas laughed.

A huge grin spread over Brooke's face. "Lucas, you're the best!" she cried as she grabbed his plate.

Brooke glared at Jake as she saw him looking longingly at her freshly acquired steak. "If you come near this steak, I swear to God Jake, I'll make Peyton a widow," Brooke whispered darkly.

"I think you have to be married before you can be widowed," Haley pointed out with a grin.

Peyton blushed.

Jake coughed and fiddled with Jenny's chair.

"OH MY GOD!" Brooke and Haley squealed at the top of their voices, whilst Nathan and Lucas shared a look.

"Are you married?" Brooke asked.

"Did you get married?" Haley demanded.

"How could you get married without us there?" Brooke groaned.

"How long have you been married!" Haley protested.

"Calm down!" Peyton held up her hand to stop their barrage.

She faced her friend's glares. "Do you really think I'd get married without you two there?" she frowned.

"Well …" Haley backtracked.

"Of course not …" Brooke tried to laugh.

"We're engaged," Jake told them.

"Since when?" Haley grinned widely.

"Since five hours ago," Peyton laughed. "We were going to tell you tomorrow, after Haley's birthday."

"This is so great!" Brooke squealed before jumping up to hug Peyton, with Haley joining them.

Nathan stood and offered his hand to Jake. "Congratulations, you're a lucky man," he smiled.

"I know," Jake smiled back.

"Congratulations, Jake. You've got a hell of a girl there," Lucas offered his hand as well.

"You're telling me!" Jake grinned.

"When are you going to get married?" Brooke sighed as she sat back down.

"Next year, once we've settled down and then we'll finish this thing with Nikki," Jake added grimly.

"Nikki?" Lucas asked Brooke softly.

"Later," Brooke grimaced.

"This is so exciting," Haley sighed softly. "I can't wait to be a bridesmaid."

"I bet you end up going to Vegas and get married in jeans," Brooke grinned.

"Sounds good to me," Jake replied as the guys laughed.

"Sounds good to me too," Peyton smirked while the girls reprimanded her.

"Do you want to dance?" Jake asked Peyton, who was being bombarded with more wedding questions.

"Yes," she said gratefully before they disappeared to the dance floor.

Lucas and Haley, and Nathan and Brooke soon followed them.

"How's your birthday been?" Lucas asked Haley as they circled the dance floor.

"Perfect," Haley sighed.

Lucas smiled at her before gathering her closer. She laid her head against his chest and let him guide her.

"Bit of a shock, then," Nathan grinned at Brooke.

"Only when I thought they'd already gotten married," Brooke giggled. "But the two of them getting engaged wasn't a shock. They've been destined for each other from birth."

"It must be amazing to find the person you're meant to be with at such a young age," Nathan said.

Brooke sighed and wrapped her arms around Nathan, resting her head on his shoulder.

As the song ended and another began, Jake twirled Peyton over to Nathan and Brooke. "Do you mind if I cut in?" Jake asked Nathan with a grin.

"Not at all," Nathan smiled.

"Let's all switch," Peyton decided, grabbing hold of Lucas and pushing Haley towards Nathan. She wanted to watch them in closer proximity.

"Congratulations," Lucas smiled at Peyton.

"Thanks," Peyton returned the smile. "I meant what I said earlier, Lucas, about you fitting in with us."

"Thank you," Lucas replied seriously. "I like Haley a lot."

"We all do," Peyton laughed as she kept an eye on Nathan and Haley.

"She's very special," Lucas twirled Peyton and snuck a glance at Brooke, before turning his attention back to Peyton. He really needed to stop thinking about Brooke so much, it was unfair to everyone. Haley really was very special. He needed to focus his mind and heart on Haley and leave Brooke to his brother.

"So, my Jakey is all grown up and getting married," Brooke sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Afraid so," Jake chuckled at her expression.

"It's going to be so beautiful. Peyton will look beautiful. The church will look beautiful. You'll look beautiful," Brooke teased him.

"That's debatable," Jake shook his head. "Do you mind us staying with you a bit longer? Until we find jobs and a place of our own."

"Jake!" Brooke swatted his arm and scowled. "Shut up."

"Yes dear," Jake stroked her hair and continued to circle the floor with her.

"Nate, my bracelet," Haley began huskily. "It means so much to me."

"I know," Nathan sighed.

"I ..." Haley paused, unsure.

"A one-off, remember?" Nathan whispered.

"What if it wasn't?" Haley asked softly.

"It had to be," Nathan grimaced.

"Let's just dance," Haley sighed, leaning against him.

Again, at the end of the song, everyone switched once more.

"Hey darlin'," Jake greeted Haley before whisking her across the dance floor.

"Jake Jagielski is practically a married man," Haley grinned. "He's also settling down in one place and confronting his past, all in one year."

"Being around you and Brooke for Christmas made us realise that we didn't want to spend any more time on our own, uprooting Jenny every month and missing out on all the important stuff," Jake sighed.

"I'm so glad you're staying," Haley hugged Jake tight. "We've missed you so much."

"We've missed you too, Pooh Bear," Jake hugged her back.

"This dance is a little tamer than our last," Nathan chuckled.

"Not nearly as much fun though," Peyton replied.

"That's true," Nathan agreed. "So how does it feel to be the future Mrs Jake?"

"Mrs Jake?" Peyton laughed. "He's the next Mr Peyton, more like it."

Nathan chuckled. "I admire you, Peyton. You're taking on a man and his child. That's a great thing."

"Thanks Nathan," Peyton looked up, touched. "It's a fairly easy thing to do, if you love them."

"It's clear that you two adore each other," Nathan sighed. "I envy that."

"I think you're pretty close to finding it yourself, Nathan," Peyton hide her smile. She wasn't sure which girl would end up adoring him, but it was clear that one of her friends would end up with Mr. Nathan Scott, charmer extraordinaire.

"Thanks for giving me your steak," Brooke grinned at Lucas.

"It was only fair, after I'd swiped your chicken," Lucas licked his lips. "Jake was right, it was delicious."

"I can't believe those two are sticking around. Finally settling down, and in New York with us!" Brooke smiled happily at Lucas.

"So who is Nikki?" Lucas asked.

"Nikki is Jenny's mom," Brooke smiled ruefully at Lucas' shocked expression. "I know, it's hard to believe that she's not Peyton's daughter. Nikki was Jake's first love, and it lasted barely a month. But she ended up pregnant, sticking around long enough to give birth before leaving the baby with Jake. She disappeared, and Jake brought up Jenny by himself. Until Peyton started helping him. Then they became inseparable, like an impenetrable unit."

"Then what happened?" Lucas asked gently, stroking Brooke's back comfortingly.

"Nikki came back. Jake let her have Jenny for a few nights. He found out that she'd been less than a great mother. Once she left Jenny in her car while she went to a bar. Jake wouldn't let Nikki have Jenny after that, and Nikki tried a few times to take Jenny. So Jake and Peyton took off right after graduation and they've been running ever since," Brooke sighed.

"Until now," Lucas reminded her.

"Yes, until now," she smiled. "It's going to be amazing having them here all the time."

"You're lucky to have each other," Lucas said softly. "I only really have Nathan and a couple of buddies we play basketball with."

"That's not true," Brooke admonished him gently. "You have us," her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Yeah, I have you," Lucas whispered back.

A shiver went up Brooke's spine. She knew he meant you in the plural sense, but for a moment she'd thought he meant her. Just her. Shaking her head, she smiled up at him before resting her head on his shoulder and letting him guide her.

*

"We're going to take Jenny home before she gets grumpy," Peyton gathered her things and put Jenny in her coat and scarf.

"My little Jen-Jen doesn't get grumpy, does she?" Brooke smoothed Jenny's ruffled hair.

Jenny started crying.

"Brooke!" Jake said menacingly.

"What?" Brooke asked angelically. "It was clearly Peyton who set her off."

Peyton raised her eyebrows. Brooke looked up at the ceiling.

Haley fake-coughed, much to Brooke's amusement. "You guys better get going, it gets so cold at night," Haley said before taking a sip of water that she didn't need.

Jake took out his wallet, but Lucas reached out and stayed his arm. "It's our treat tonight," he said quietly with a smile.

"Thanks," Jake nodded, returning the smile.

Jake and Peyton said their goodbyes. Jake ignored Brooke and glared at her before picking Jenny up and leaving.

"What's up with him?" Brooke asked blithely.

The three of them stared at her before bursting into laughter.

Lucas waived the waiter over and asked for the bill. Ignoring Brooke and Haley's protests, Lucas and Nathan paid for dinner.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Nathan murmured to Brooke as he helped her with her coat.

Brooke murmured in consent before she turned around and Nathan playfully did all her buttons up for her whilst she giggled.

"We're going to take a little night stroll before heading home," Brooke giggled as Nathan fastened her last button before winking at Haley.

Blushing, Haley avoided Lucas' gaze. "We'll see you back home," she glanced up and found Lucas smiling at her. She returned the smile.

"Okay," Brooke hugged Haley. "Enjoy what's left of your birthday," Brooke gave her a little wink.

"Thanks for my presents, guys. They were both so thoughtful," Haley's gaze flickered towards Nathan, but she didn't let her eyes rest on him.

Brooke and Nathan headed out into the cold night. Brooke tucked her cold hands into her pockets and leaned into Nathan as he put his arm around her.

"Did you know that this is the first time we've really been alone since we met?" Nathan chuckled as they strolled down the sidewalk.

"I know," Brooke sighed. "I'm sorry, Nathan."

"Hey, it's okay. I wasn't complaining. I like your friends, I like them a lot," Nathan told her.

"I think they're pretty special myself," Brooke smiled. "I know we probably seem like we're all joined at the hip, but it's just the timing. We haven't seen Jake and Peyton in so long, we're afraid that if we lose sight of them, they'll disappear again."

"It must be tough on them and Jenny," Nathan stroked Brooke's arm. "Not only are they young parents, but moving all the time can't be easy."

"It's not," Brooke admitted. "They've become older than they should be. Instead of having fun and being young, they're constantly scared and worried."

"It must be a relief for them to finally settle down," Nathan shivered and brought Brooke closer to him.

"For them and for us," Brooke grinned as she tugged her hat down further.

"You and Haley seem inseparable," Nathan bit down on his lip.

"Since Peyton and Jake disappeared after graduation, it's only been the two of us. We risked everything coming to New York, and we get by on a tiny budget, but it's all worth it. And there's no-one I'd rather eat risotto with than Haley," Brooke pulled a face.

"Risotto is my speciality," Nathan said proudly.

Brooke giggled. "Don't tell Haley that, she hates it!"

"Huh," Nathan frowned. "That could be the end of our beautiful friendship."

"Who knew risotto was so important?" Brooke teased.

"Risotto is not only my speciality, but it's the only recipe in my repertoire," Nathan admitted.

"Ah, I see," Brooke giggled. "Maybe I should get you a recipe book for your birthday."

Nathan glared at her as she laughed.

"Okay, maybe not," Brooke conceded. "We'll just keep you out of the kitchen when Haley's around."

"How can she not like risotto!" Nathan erupted.

Trying not to laugh, Brooke patted his arm. "I really don't know," she said, trying to sound serious.

Brooke slipped her hand under Nathan's jacket, stifling a giggle as he yelped at her cold hands. Pouting, she looked up at him. "I'm cold!"

Nathan chuckled as he stopped and turned Brooke to face him. Rubbing her arms, he brought her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. "You look ridiculously cute in that jacket, with that scarf and hat on too," Nathan smiled softly.

Brooke paused. This was it. The big moment. She gazed up at him, a strangely shy smile on her lips. Would there be a spark? There had to be a spark, there just had to be. A voice inside mocked her, telling her that this was the wrong time, the wrong place and the wrong kiss. She ignored it. She and Nathan were perfect for each other.

Nathan knew he was going to kiss Brooke. He'd wanted to kiss her from the first moment he met her. Doubts circled his mind, but he concentrated on her beautiful face. The shy smile dancing on her lips. The twinkle in her eye as she waited patiently. He pushed the doubts aside. Brooke was his ideal woman.

His lips met hers.

"This has been the best birthday ever," Haley grinned up at Lucas as they walked home.

"I'm glad you had a good time," Lucas hugged her closer.

"And I'm glad that you're here," Haley smiled as she looked ahead.

"Well, I'm glad I was invited," Lucas returned with a smile.

"If you hadn't been invited, I wouldn't have gotten a framed photograph of my best friends," Haley teased him.

"Ah, so that's all you wanted me for?" Lucas teased her back.

"I guess there are some other things I might want you for," Haley giggled.

"Oh really?" Lucas stopped dead and turned to her. Grinning wolfishly, he slowly moved towards her. She backed up, until she found herself pinned against the wall, with Lucas smirking at her. "And what may they be?"

"You own your own business," Haley began.

"It's barely making a profit," Lucas raised his eyebrows.

"You have your own place," Haley countered.

"I rent, and I share with my brother," Lucas bit back a smile.

"You … have nice teeth," Haley stuttered, flushing.

"You want to keep me around because I have nice teeth?" Lucas chuckled softly.

"Dental hygiene is very important," Haley whispered.

"Sure it is," Lucas said softly as he bent his head closer to hers.

"And I guess you're okay-looking," Haley's lips lifted into a slight smile.

"Go on," Lucas prompted, his breath tickling her neck.

"You're smart and funny and kind," Haley continued, shivering from the heat.

"And?" Lucas asked as his hands run along her back.

"And you're sexy as hell," Haley giggled.

"Damn straight," Lucas murmured as he closed the gap between their lips.

*

Ending the kiss softly, Lucas lifted his head and stared down at the girl in his arms. She lifted her gaze to meet his.

Smiles played across both their lips.

Haley slowly brought her hand up to her lips and touched them gently, a look of wonder on her face.

Lucas ran his fingers through his hair, whilst he whistled slowly through his teeth.

Staring at each other, their shy smiles broadened into grins, which evolved into laughter.

"Lucas, that was …" Haley shook her head, unable to finish the sentence.

"Awful? Terrible? Passionless?" Lucas finished for her.

Haley giggled. "So it wasn't just me?"

"No, I felt it too. Or, didn't feel it, I guess," Lucas said ruefully.

"I thought …" Haley paused, unsure what she thought.

"That we seemed perfect for each other?" Lucas suggested.

"Something like that," Haley shrugged with a smile.

"Someone just forgot to tell our bodies and hearts that," Lucas caught a strand of her hair and twisted it around his finger.

"I mean, not that the kiss itself was terrible!" Haley pointed out.

"No, the mechanics of the kiss were great," Lucas agreed.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," Haley said softly.

"Me too," Lucas echoed.

"I really wanted to feel something. I really thought I would feel something," Haley tried to explain.

"I know. I thought I'd feel something too," Lucas sighed. "I guess we're just destined to be friends."

"Very good friends," Haley wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

Lucas chuckled as he hugged her back. "Very good friends," he repeated.

Motionless, they let the realisation sink in as they remained locked together.

"I guess this wasn't the expected ending to your birthday," Lucas teased her as he rested his head on hers.

"This is the best ending to a birthday that I've ever had," Haley snuck her hands under Lucas' jacket, giggling as she heard his sudden intake of breath as her cold hands touched his skin through his shirt. "The best present ever. A friend."

"You know that sounded really corny, right?" Lucas grinned at her.

"I know. But something tells me that you needed to hear it," Haley rested her head against his shoulder.

"Very good friends," Lucas murmured, surprised by her intuition.

"Walk me home?" Haley asked quietly.

"Of course," Lucas laughed.

She retracted her hands from under his jacket and slipped her arm through his before they began to walk slowly home.

"You wanna take me out to dinner next week?" Haley asked cheekily.

"Sure thing, friend," Lucas chuckled.

"Just the two of us, not the others. They'll be all couple-y and sickening," Haley pulled a face.

"Nathan's not really a publicly affectionate kind of guy," Lucas told her. "But I see your point."

"Yeah, Brooke's not either, really," Haley admitted. "But you never know, there's a first time for everything."

"Besides, they'll want to be on their own," Lucas pointed out as he held Haley's hand while they crossed the road. "And despite our very apparent lack of attraction towards each other, I want to spend time alone with you."

"I know what you mean. As much as I love my friends, it's nice to get away from them every once in a while," Haley giggled. "I'm singing next Wednesday but I'm on quite late. Can you do an early dinner?"

"I can clear my schedule," Lucas laughed as he caught Haley before she fell on some ice.

"God I hate this weather!" Haley groaned as she found her feet again.

"I love winter," Lucas admitted.

"Aha! The first thing we disagree on!" Haley giggled. "More proof that we weren't meant to be."

"Haley, you know that's totally ridiculous, right?" Lucas shook his head.

"Sure. But I like to think that fate is watching out for me. We kissed, we didn't feel anything, and straight after we disagree about something as fundamental as winter," Haley said seriously. "It was clearly a sign that we made the right decision to be friends, not lovers."

Lucas threw his head back and laughed. "You mean it wasn't already clear? You're unique, Haley."

"Why thank you," Haley grinned.

"Here you are, delivered home safe and sound, at a very reasonable hour," Lucas followed her to the door.

"You are such a gentleman, Lucas," Haley laughed as she opened the door. "Do you want to come in for a coffee, warm yourself up?"

"I think I'll skip tonight," Lucas brushed a kiss against her cheek. "Happy birthday, Haley."

"Thanks, Lucas. For everything," Haley smiled gently.

He turned and waved before heading towards his own apartment.

"Wow," Brooke whispered.

"Yeah," Nathan echoed.

"That was …" Brooke broke off, not sure how to describe it.

"Amazing," Nathan finished for her.

"Yeah," Brooke echoed.

"Huh," Nathan murmured.

"Is it bad to say that I wasn't expecting it to be that … amazing?" Brooke looked up at Nathan, a small frown marring her brow.

"Not if I wasn't expecting it either," Nathan mirrored her frown.

Brooke shivered in the bitter cold air. Nathan brought her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her in a big bear hug.

"Why weren't we expecting it? We should have been expecting it," Brooke murmured.

"I don't know," Nathan answered her, rubbing her back gently.

"I mean, we compliment each other so well," Brooke muttered. "We like the same things, we have the same sense of humor, and we're both rebellious."

"We should, in fact, be heading back to my place to have mind blowing sex," Nathan smirked as Brooke tried to look outraged but ended up giggling instead.

"So, why aren't we?" Brooke giggled.

"Because, as hot as that kiss was, something didn't feel right," Nathan murmured.

"Exactly," Brooke agreed as she shivered again and huddled closer to Nathan. "No offence, but I have no desire to sleep with you."

"None taken," Nathan chuckled. "Maybe we know deep down that we aren't right for each other."

"I guess we do. Our bodies and minds are smarter than our brains, huh?" Brooke smiled ruefully.

"Something tells me that our perfect partners aren't mirror images of ourselves," Nathan murmured.

"Since when did you get so deep?" Brooke giggled softly.

"Ah, I've always been a philosophy-ising-er kind of person," Nathan said, straight-faced.

"Yeah," Brooke smirked. "I can tell."

"Still friends?" Nathan reached out and lifted Brooke's chin with his finger.

"I guess," Brooke pretended to think it over.

"Don't get too excited," Nathan deadpanned.

"Well, I guess I could use a partner in crime," Brooke grinned.

Nathan chuckled. "You sound just like Carly," he shook his head.

"Carly?" Brooke asked as she put her hands in Nathan's jacket pockets.

"There are only two people in the world who know my deepest, darkest secrets. One is Lucas, the other is Carly. We've been best friends since, well forever," Nathan grimaced.

"I think I should meet Carly," Brooke decided. "Since we've discovered that we don't want each other sexually, as one of your friends, I get to know all shameful secrets from your past that girlfriends don't find out until after the wedding."

Nathan chuckled. "I think you and Carly would get on great. We're going out for dinner next Wednesday, why don't you join us?"

"You'll tell her that I'm no longer a potential girlfriend?" Brooke narrowed her eyes.

"Of course," Nathan grinned.

"Then I'd love to," Brooke grinned back. "Oh, actually, Haley's singing that night, but I don't think she's singing until late. Could we make it an early dinner?"

"Sure," Nathan mentally rearranged his appointments. "I'd like to see Haley sing again."

"She's great, isn't she?" Brooke sighed.

"She is," Nathan murmured.

"You're a pretty special guy, Nathan," Brooke said softly. "Not many guys would still want to be friends with a girl after she's told him that she doesn't want to have sex with him."

"That's because you're a pretty special girl, Brooke. You have a body to die for," Nathan sniggered as Brooke punched his arm. "But you also have a beautiful soul. And just because I'm not attracted to the body in a sexual way, it doesn't mean I'm not captivated by the soul."

"Nathan …" Brooke wiped away a rogue tear that had escaped and was running down her cheek. "Come on, walk me home," Brooke coughed and detangled her hands from his pockets and grabbed his arm before placing it over her shoulders. "Whose stupid idea was it to take a walk in this weather anyway?" she asked grumpily.

Nathan kept silent as they headed home, a grin on his face.

*

"Jake has a job?" Haley asked incredulously. "A real-life, honest to God, sitting at a desk, 9-5 job?"

"I know," Peyton sighed with a dreamy expression across her face. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"It's probably the best news I've ever heard!" Brooke squealed as she jumped up and down on her chair.

"As soon as we find a nice nursery for Jenny, I can get one of those real-life, honest to God, 9-5 jobs," Peyton grinned.

"You forgot to say sitting at a desk," Haley laughed.

"I know," Peyton grinned. "I thought I'd leave that to Jake and I'd get myself a more exciting job."

"You know, there's a music store on the same street as Rueful that was advertising for an assistant," Brooke frowned as she searched her memory. "It wouldn't be much, but you'd be surrounded by music all day and the hours would be flexible for Jenny."

"That'd be perfect," Peyton sighed. "It's all really falling into place now, isn't it?"

"All three of us, living in New York, living the dream," Haley grinned. "It's just about perfect."

The three girls stared into the distance and took a moment to take in their lives. They were sitting at a small café half a block from the apartment, taking advantage of Jake wanting to spend some quality time with his daughter at the park.

"How did your moonlight stroll with Lucas go, Hales?" Brooke asked, trying to sound innocently curious.

"It was lovely," Haley smiled at the memory.

"Lovely?" Peyton stared at her. "Just … lovely?"

Haley giggled as she saw matching expressions of disbelief on her friends' faces. "Sadly yes. We kissed, but there wasn't anything there."

"No spark?" Brooke asked, slightly in shock.

"None whatsoever," Haley sighed.

"But you looked so cute together," Peyton chuckled at herself.

"You two were perfect for each other! You're like identical twins," Brooke screwed up her face in confusion.

"That was the problem. We're too alike. I don't want to date myself," Haley giggled.

"Funny, Nathan said almost the same thing," Brooke murmured.

"What!" Haley and Peyton squealed in unison.

"After we kissed," Brooke sighed. "We decided that we were too similar to be more than friends."

Peyton hid her smile behind her coffee cup.

"I thought you were perfect for each other," Haley patted Brooke's hand.

"I guess the only couple that are perfect for each other are the future Mrs Jagielski and Mr Jagielski," Brooke winked at Haley before they both turned to face Peyton.

"Wh-what?" Peyton asked nervously.

"Wedding plans!" Brooke glared at her.

"We're not getting married until next year, Brooke," Peyton said meekly.

"You've got to book the church and reception now; otherwise you won't get married until 2019!" Haley pointed out.

"Maybe we could go looking in a few weeks," Peyton looked overwhelmed.

"It's a date," Brooke said with a satisfied smirk.

"Which is more than we have," Haley sighed as she looked at Brooke.

"I thought those Scott boys had such potential, too," Brooke idly stirred her freshly poured coffee.

Peyton bit her lip, trying not to laugh. She'd never realised before that her two best friends were completely and utterly … well, dumb.

"I'm meeting Lucas on Wednesday for an early dinner before the club," Haley told them. "Can I meet you there?"

Brooke's eyes narrowed. "You're still seeing Lucas?"

"Well, he's still my friend," Haley said blithely. "He's a good guy, Brooke. I know you don't think they exist, but they do."

"One in a million," Brooke muttered. "I'm meeting Nathan for an early dinner that night as well, so it suits me."

"You're still seeing Nathan?" Haley laughed as she echoed Brooke.

"He's sweet. He said this really adorable thing about me having a gorgeous soul, or something, and I just about managed to stop myself falling at his feet," Brooke giggled.

"Was this before or after you kissed?" Peyton asked, tongue-in-cheek.

"After!" Brooke sighed dramatically as she rested her head on her hands.

"Are you sure you don't want to date him?" Haley asked, half-heartedly.

"Sure, unfortunately," Brooke drained her coffee. "Why, do you want him?"

Haley choked on the coffee she'd been drinking. "What?"

"I was only joking, Hales. I know you'd never go for someone like Nathan," Brooke laughed.

"Why not?" Haley asked defensively.

"Because you like boring, safe guys like Bryan," Brooke's face tightened as she thought of Haley's ex-boyfriend.

"He didn't turn out to be very safe," Haley pointed out; ignoring the tinge of pain her past brought her.

"Does that mean you think Lucas is boring and safe?" Peyton asked Brooke innocently.

Her heart screaming 'NO!' Brooke answered, "Yes."

"I do not date boring, safe guys," Haley muttered as she glared at Brooke.

"Yes you do," Brooke glared back at her.

"Chill out, guys," Peyton mediated.

"You date idiots," Haley aimed at Brooke.

"Or not," Peyton murmured to herself.

"I do not!" Brooke grumbled.

"Really?" Haley lifted her hand and started ticking off names. "There was Ryan, who left the state without telling you. Then Callum, who had the psycho ex-girlfriend. Then, of course, there was James."

"Haley …" Peyton looked at her warningly.

"James, who loved you so much that he slept with your entire squad during your relationship," Haley finished.

Peyton winced before turning to Brooke. White as a sheet, Brooke stared with pained eyes at Haley, who looked horrified. Standing up, Brooke grabbed her purse.

"Excuse me," she whispered softly before walking quickly away.

"Haley!" Peyton stared at her in shock.

"What the hell did I just say?" Haley asked in disbelief. "Why on earth would I say that?"

"Because she said you'd never date someone like Nathan," Peyton muttered.

"Why would that upset me?" Haley asked her. "I must be mad."

"You got that right," Peyton sighed.

"How am I going to make it up to her?" Haley held her head in her hands.

"Brooke will forgive you; just give her time to walk it off. You know she can't keep a grudge for long," Peyton said wisely.

"She hates me," Haley groaned as tears filled her eyes.

"No she doesn't," Peyton reached over and hugged her.

Brooke stumbled blindly through the streets of New York, unable to see anything except James on top of that girl, the way she'd walked in on them two years ago. She heard Haley's voice echoing inside of her head and she thought she might explode from the pain. The sound of James laughing as he realised she'd caught him, the girls giggle as she watched her head cheerleader break down and run out of the room.

Brooke swiped at the tears on her cheeks, but they kept coming. Stumbling again, she found herself surrounded by strong arms. She struggled to escape, before a voice whispered in her ear.

"Shh," Lucas said softly.

Letting her tears dry, Brooke sank into his embrace.

"What's wrong, Brooke?" he asked her gently as her sobs stopped.

"Nothing," she stepped back and he let his arms fall.

"It's not nothing when you're walking around crying," Lucas asked, concerned.

"It's nothing," Brooke said obstinately.

"Okay," Lucas let it slide, hiding his worry.

"In a city this big, you'd think it was strange, suspicious even, to bump into the same person twice in a few weeks," Brooke stared at him.

"You think I'm stalking you?" Lucas asked with a chuckle.

Brooke continued to stare at him.

"Brooke, I'm not following you," Lucas grinned at her.

"Right," Brooke said in a disbelieving tone.

Lucas frowned. Brooke couldn't really believe he was stalking her, could she?

"Brooke, I'm on my way to meet someone. I had no idea I'd find you crying in the street," Lucas said firmly.

"Meeting a girl?" Brooke glared at him, unable to stop herself.

"Yes, actually," Lucas frowned at Brooke's tone and her glare. "Brooke, what's wrong?"

"It didn't take long for you to replace Haley, did it?" Brooke narrowed her eyes and shot daggers at him. "Or were you seeing her before getting rid of Haley?" Brooke's bitterness aimed with deadly intent on Lucas.

"What the hell?" Lucas was thrown, both by Brooke's meaning and the venom behind it.

"I know what kind of guy you are, Lucas. You're just like every other guy I've met. You use people. You're despicable," Brooke yelled at him before spinning and running away, tears streaming down her cheeks again.

Lucas stared after her. What had just happened? Brooke had clearly been upset about something, and then she'd turned on him and accused him of outrageous crimes. The girl was crazy.

*

"She just screamed at you and ran away?" Nathan stared at his brother.

"Yes," Lucas flicked through the file on his desk.

"Why?" Nathan asked, puzzled.

"Because she seemed to think that I was cheating on Haley," Lucas sighed.

"Why would she think that?" Nathan half-choked on his coffee.

"She asked where I was going, and if I was going to meet a girl. I said yes, actually I was, and then she flipped," Lucas put down the file to look at his brother.

"You didn't think to mention that you were also meeting your brother and the girl was his best friend?" Nathan raised his eyebrows and studied Lucas.

"She didn't give me a chance, Nate. The girl is crazy, and I hope to God that I never have to see her again. I have enough stress in my life without crazy girls screaming at me," Lucas picked up his pen and made a note on the file.

"If she was upset when you found her, I think it's safe to say that she wasn't really yelling at you," Nathan frowned.

"Sure felt like she was yelling at me," Lucas muttered.

"You know what I mean," Nathan smirked. "Give her a break, Lucas. She's a really lovely girl."

"So lovely that you didn't want to keep seeing her," Lucas smiled sweetly.

"Shove it," Nathan said with a smile of his own. "I've got some meetings across town so I'll be out of the office for most of the day," he said as he disappeared through the door.

"Nathan? You have a call. Shall I put it through?" his secretary asked.

"I guess so," Nathan sighed. It was too early to be dealing with calls.

Picking up the phone, Nathan injected some enthusiasm he wasn't feeling into his voice. "Nathan Scott."

"Hi Nate," a soft voice answered him.

"Hales?" Nathan froze.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm great. You?" Nathan managed to answer her.

"I'm okay," Haley said gently. "I'm sorry to call you at work."

"That's okay," Nathan frowned. "Is something wrong with Brooke?"

"Oh, no. Well, not really. We had a bit of an argument yesterday, but I think she's okay now," Haley crossed her fingers and hoped.

"Lucas ran into her at the park yesterday and found her crying," Nathan said softly. "Then she screamed at him because she thought he'd been cheating on you when he told her that he was going to meet a girl."

Haley's eyes filled. "Oh Nate, that's all my fault. Will you apologise to Lucas for me? I upset Brooke and she took it out on him."

"Hales, are you really alright?" Nathan asked, worried.

"I think so," Haley smiled at his concern. "Could you meet me for lunch?"

"What time and where?" Nathan asked.

"Midday in the North Meadow?" Haley suggested. "I'll bring sandwiches."

"Sounds great. I'll see you soon, Hales," Nathan murmured.

"Goodbye, Nate," Haley murmured before ending the call.

Nathan sat back in his chair and stared at his telephone in confusion. Why had Haley called him and asked him to lunch? They'd decided that their New Year kiss had been a one-off, a fluke. It would cause too much trouble with Lucas and Brooke if it had meant anything more. They were playing a dangerous game, spending time alone together. Nathan wasn't sure he could resist Haley if she looked at him with those expressive eyes that told him much more than Haley probably wanted them to.

She probably wanted to talk to him about Brooke or Lucas, Nathan told himself. Maybe she still had feelings for Lucas and she wanted Nathan to set them up again. He'd rather slit his own wrists, but he'd do it, for her. Nathan closed his eyes and banged his head against his desk. God help him, but he'd do almost anything for her. He barely knew her, yet he knew she was the most perfect woman he'd ever met. She was sweet, and good, and lovely. She'd never want him though. He'd been with too many women, he'd caused too much trouble, he'd never settle down enough for a girl like Haley. She'd never want a guy like him.

"Maria, can you clear my afternoon schedule?" Nathan called to his secretary.

"Everything?" Maria asked.

"Everything," Nathan sighed. Something told him he was going to need to blow off some steam after lunch.

"You cancelled all your afternoon appointments?" Lucas strolled into Nathan's office a few hours later.

"Yeah," Nathan murmured distractedly.

"Why?" Lucas asked as he leaned against the doorframe.

"I wanted an afternoon off," Nathan frowned as he stared at his computer.

"Put the three on the four," Lucas grinned.

"Ha ha," Nathan shot him a glare as he put the three on the four.

"Any special reason for taking an afternoon off?" Lucas persisted.

"Nope," Nathan stared at his brother blankly.

"Okay," Lucas nodded thoughtfully. "You haven't got a hot date you're not telling me about?"

"Nope," Nathan lied smoothly.

"I guess I'll see you later then. Don't forget you have a date with me and two other hunky guys on the court tonight," Lucas grinned.

"Have you told Mom and Dad that you're gay and they shouldn't expect grandkids from you?" Nathan asked, interestedly.

"I broke the news last night," Lucas called as he left.

"Smartass," Nathan muttered as he glanced at the clock.

Nathan stood in the North Meadow of Central Park, trying to spot Haley. He saw a girl waving her hand at him and he started towards her with a smile he couldn't get off his face.

"Hey," Nathan greeted Haley, who was sitting on a picnic blanket with a basket beside her.

"Hey," she replied shyly.

Nathan gracefully sank onto the blanket beside her, letting his long frame stretch out.

Haley reached into the basket and produced a sandwich, which she handed to Nathan. "I hope you like ham and cheese," she grinned.

"It's my favourite," Nathan chuckled as he unwrapped it.

"Really?" Haley murmured as she took out her own sandwich.

"Mmm," Nathan groaned as he bit into it. "Perfect."

Haley took a small bite of her own sandwich as she stared into the park.

"What's in yours?" Nathan asked her as he eyed her sandwich.

"Chicken salad," Haley fought a smile. "Do you want a bite?"

Nathan nodded before she offered the sandwich to him. He took a bite from it in her hands.

"That's good," Nathan mumbled.

"Thanks," Haley laughed at his expression of pleasure.

"Since neither Lucas or I can cook, we appreciate real food when we can get it," Nathan laughed.

Haley paused.

"Ah yes, Lucas. I assume he's the reason you invited me to lunch," Nathan said.

"Not really," Haley sighed.

"It must be Brooke then," Nathan finished his sandwich.

"Not really, either," Haley handed him a bottle of water.

"So if it's not Brooke or Lucas, what is it?" Nathan asked gently, putting the bottle down and turning to face Haley.

"Nathan, the reason Brooke was upset was because I brought up her ex-boyfriend," Haley murmured.

"Okay," Nathan frowned, unsure of what Haley meant.

"He cheated on her. And not just once, but for the whole year they dated. She found him in bed with one of her friends and she wasn't quite the same after that," Haley sighed.

"Oh," Nathan felt realisation dawn on him.

"Yeah," Haley laid down on the blanket and put her arms behind her head. "That's why she snapped at Lucas."

"I'd never have thought anyone could cheat on Brooke," Nathan felt his fists clench and he took a deep breath before relaxing them. Lying back, he mirrored Haley's position.

"I appreciate you telling me this, Haley, but you could have told me over the phone instead of going to the trouble of making me lunch," Nathan smiled.

"I haven't finished," Haley frowned.

"Okay," Nathan turned and looked at her.

"The reason I brought up her ex-boyfriend was because she called all my ex-boyfriends safe and boring, so I called her ex-boyfriends idiots," Haley closed her eyes.

"Okay," Nathan was puzzled as to what this had to do with him, but he let Haley talk.

"The reason the argument started was you," Haley whispered.

"Me?" Nathan bolted upright. "How?"

"Brooke was telling me and Peyton about how the two of you decided to just be friends," Haley whispered, her eyes still closed.

Nathan felt his heart race. Carefully, slowly, watching her face the whole time, Nathan reached over and took her hand in his.

"I asked her if she was sure, and she said yes, why, did I want you." Haley squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

Nathan stroked her hand, and held his breath.

"Then she said that I'd never date anyone like you, because I always date safe guys," Haley sighed. "It made me mad, so I hit out at her, thoughtlessly."

"Why did it make you mad, Hales?" Nathan asked her softly.

"I don't know," Haley murmured.

Nathan hoped he knew the reason, but he needed to hear her say it. He reached over and stroked her face gently. "Hales," he whispered.

"I got mad because I want you. I want you so much and I can't help it, no matter how hard I fight it," Haley sighed.

Nathan felt his heart stop before it raced again. He leaned over her and softly, gently placed his lips on hers. Haley gasped and opened her eyes, to find Nathan staring at her. Pulling back slightly, Nathan stroked her hair and smiled.

"I want you too, Hales. I have since New Year and I can't get you out of my mind," Nathan admitted.

"But what about-" Haley broke off as Nathan put his finger to her lips.

"We'll worry about that later," Nathan murmured before leaning down and capturing her lips once again in a long, lingering kiss.

*

Nathan headed home with a stupid grin on his face that he couldn't get rid of, and honestly didn't want to get rid of. He'd spent the entire afternoon with Haley in his arms. They'd talked, they'd teased and they'd laughed, but mostly they just looked at each other with a matching light in their eyes. In one afternoon, Nathan had felt more for Haley than he'd felt with any other girl he'd met. She was sweet and adorable, a little goofy, and sexy as hell. The best thing about her though, was that she was totally unaware of her own beauty.

All those attributes he'd found in other girls, albeit never all in the same girl. What made Haley different was the other feelings she somehow managed to rouse in him. Lying with her in his arms, he felt protective of her in a way that he'd never felt about another girl before, except Carly, and she didn't count. She was like a sister to him. But Haley, she was special. He wanted to look after her and make her happy. He wasn't sure he could, but he wanted to try.

Everything was perfect. For the moment.

Stepping into the apartment, Nathan headed towards the kitchen, finding Lucas there with takeout. Swiping a box, Nathan sat down and grinning at his brother as he tucked in.

"Why are you so happy?" Lucas asked with a frown.

"No reason, my dear brother," Nathan grinned.

Lucas stared at him.

"What time are the guys coming over?" Nathan asked, ignoring the bemused look on Lucas' face.

"About an hour," Lucas murmured as he watched Nathan grin at his takeout. "Seriously, what did you do this afternoon?"

"I met a wonderful girl," Nathan told him. "We sat in Central Park for the entire afternoon doing nothing."

"That's what you cancelled all your appointments for?" Lucas chuckled.

"Yeah," Nathan said with an unrepentant grin.

"Do I know her?" Lucas asked with a mouthful of noodles.

"Maybe," Nathan hedged. The last thing he wanted was for Lucas to find out that he and Haley had feelings for each other and get angry or upset with them. What he and Haley had admitted today was new and fragile. He didn't want their relationship to end before it had a chance.

"It's Brooke, isn't it?" Lucas said in an odd tone.

Nathan looked up and found Lucas frowning. "It's not, actually. We'll always be close, but not romantically."

"Then who is it?" Lucas asked, curious.

"I want to keep it kind of low-key at the moment," Nathan dodged. "This girl is different. She's special."

Lucas stared at his brother. "Okay," he said slowly. He'd never known Nathan to be coy about the girls he dated. He'd also never known Nathan to be so goofily happy after a date. It was a sight to behold, and Lucas was happy for his brother, whoever the girl was.

"You know, you shouldn't be so hard on Brooke," Nathan interrupted Lucas' thoughts. "She's had a rough time."

"Really? It must be tough growing up with a rich daddy, head cheerleader and most popular girl in school. That must have been a terrible childhood she had," Lucas growled. "Haley told me all about Brooke."

Nathan glared at him. "Life isn't that simple, Lucas. Maybe you should ask Brooke about her childhood some time. When you've stopped being such an ass to her."

"Hey, she's the one who went crazy in the park!" Lucas defended himself, annoyed.

"Like I said, she was obviously upset about something else," Nathan argued. "And if you think about it, she was only looking out for Haley." Something that Nathan admired Brooke more for, since he knew Haley was the one who'd upset her in the first place.

Silence stretched between the two brothers.

"I'm going out to shoot some hoops. You want a game of one-on-one before the guys get here?" Nathan asked as he stood up.

"I'll be down in a minute," Lucas said, distracted.

Nathan left and Lucas stared into his noodles as memories hit him.

… " _My Brookie is the most sophisticated girl I know," Mandy huffed. "Just because she listens to idiotic men who think … well, I'm in polite company so I won't say, but she deserves to be treated like a princess, not some … well. Getting her to dress like a princess is a step in the right direction."…_

…  _Jake grinned. "I've had to threaten and once or twice, physically beat some of Brooke's admirers."_

" _Haley and I did a huge cheer when you punched James," Peyton sighed with a grin. "That was the best day."_

" _He deserved it. And more," he frowned. "I wish I'd hit him harder." …_

… " _I'm not promiscuous, or immoral or slutty," she gritted …_

…  _Brooke looked up at him, horror in her eyes. "Oh God, Lucas, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that! You're with Haley!"_

_Brooke's eyes filled with tears before she spun away from him and disappeared into the crowd, leaving him staring after her …_

… " _Lucas? Please. I don't want to talk about. You proved your point; I'm just the girl you always thought I was. You win. The end," Brooke whispered. …_

Except it wasn't the end. There was more to Brooke. He'd seen it. He'd felt it.

…  _Lucas smiled as he picked her up. He carried her through the door and towards the couch, taking his time, making sure that he didn't cause her any more pain. He'd noticed last night that she fitted perfectly in his arms, once again. Whether he was dancing with her or carrying her, she was at home in his arms …_

… " _You look lovely, Brooke," Lucas said softly, watching as she blushed prettily before biting her lip …_

…  _Being the nearest to her, Lucas put out his arm and Brooke caught hold of it, glancing up at him gratefully before leaning against him whilst she put her other shoe on. Patting his arm, she smiled gently at him …_

…  _Lucas glanced at Brooke mischievously, who stuck her tongue out at him …_

… " _You're lucky to have each other," Lucas said softly. "I only really have Nathan and a couple of buddies we play basketball with."_

" _That's not true," Brooke admonished him gently. "You have us," her voice dropped to a whisper._

" _Yeah, I have you," Lucas whispered back …_

There was one image that had stayed in his mind and rarely left it. The image replayed itself, driving Lucas half-insane with guilt and need.

…  _He reached down, tucked his hand under her chin and tilted Brooke's head up. He read the bewilderment and uncertainty in her eyes. He was feeling something he hadn't felt with Haley all night._

" _It's tradition, right?" he murmured as he lowered his head._

" _Right," Brooke murmured as she lifted hers._

_His mouth slanted across hers and Brooke trembled. Her mouth opened involuntarily and Lucas groaned. He fought himself but he deepened the kiss. Brooke kissed him back, lost entirely in the moment. They remained locked for an age …_

Lucas sighed. Trying to push thoughts of the complex girl that was Brooke out of his mind, he finished his noodles before heading for the court.

Nathan bounced the basketball idly as thoughts of Haley intruded. Smiling, he jumped and released the ball, hardly noticing when he made the basket.

… " _Look, Haley, you're never going to be able to carry those and not fall again. Let me help you. I won't bite."_

" _That's a shame," Haley grinned, before widening her eyes and blushing …_

…  _Nathan cleared his throat as he stood up. "Haley," he bent to kiss her cheek. His eyes locked with hers and time stood still for a millisecond …_

…  _Their bodies slowed to almost a standstill as Nathan gazed down at Haley, a small smile on his face._

" _Nathan?" Haley asked hesitantly._

_He brought his hand up to stroke her hair, before gently guiding her to lean on him. Sighing, she rested her head against his body and they continued to sway gently._

" _I know," Nathan sighed._

" _I don't know what's happening," Haley whispered._

" _Me neither," Nathan returned. "It's probably just the atmosphere, right?"_

" _Right," Haley agreed quietly. "Can we just stay here a bit longer?"_

" _Yeah," Nathan breathed …_

…  _Scooping her up into his arms gingerly, he carefully walked slowly towards the couch, savouring the feel of her in his arms, careful not to hurt her. Haley kept her gaze on the floor, secretly relishing the feel of Nathan's arms around her. As he bent to lower her onto the couch, he whispered in her ear, "You're a cute drunk." Winking, he sat next to her …_

…  _Returning to her seat, Haley swiped at her tears. Nathan moved his hand to cover hers as it lay in her lap. Haley flicked her gaze up to him but his eyes were focused on the candle that lit the table. He stroked her hand gently and tears stopped filling her eyes …_

…  _Haley turned back and found Nathan was looking at her. Blushing, she said softly, "Thank you, Nate. This means so much to me." …_

… " _Nate, my bracelet," Haley began huskily. "It means so much to me."_

" _I know," Nathan sighed._

" _I ..." Haley paused, unsure._

" _A one-off, remember?" Nathan whispered._

" _What if it wasn't?" Haley asked softly._

" _It had to be," Nathan grimaced._

" _Let's just dance," Haley sighed, leaning against him …_

…  _Nathan gazed down at Haley, confusion in both their eyes. They moved closer, pulled by an invisible thread. Nathan lowered his head as Haley reached up. His mouth covered hers gently, without pressure or demand …_

Nathan grinned at the memories. He loved his brother, and he loved Brooke, but if it came down to it, he'd already made his choice. His choice had been made a long time ago, long before he'd realised it. He felt it in his heart. Haley was the girl for him.

*

"I still don't think this is a good idea, Haley," Brooke stopped on the sidewalk and looked at her friend.

"Come on, Brooke," Haley pulled on Brooke's arm as she dug her heels in. "We were all going out for dinner anyway, we might as well all go together."

"No. I want to go out with Nathan and his friend. I don't want to see Lucas," Brooke pouted.

"All you have to do is say sorry, and forget about it," Haley said softly.

"Apologise! To him? What for? He's the one who was seeing girls behind your back!" Brooke screeched loudly.

"Brooke, you know he wasn't. He told me he was going to see Nathan and Carly," Haley pointed out.

"Oh, well if Lucas said that, he must be telling the truth," Brooke deadpanned.

"He is telling the truth, Brooke. Don't you trust Nathan either? I'm sure he'd tell you the same story," Haley began pulling Brooke along with her.

"That's all guys do, tell stories. And we're the stupid ones for believing them," Brooke muttered.

"Come on," Haley laughed as she tugged on Brooke's hand.

They arrived at the restaurant and were led to their table. Lucas and Nathan were already there, and they stood as the girls approached.

"Be nice to her, Lucas," Nathan muttered as he smiled at the girls.

Nathan brushed Brooke's cheek as she greeted him with a hug. Turning to Lucas, she stared at him mutinously. They were too busy staring at each other to notice Nathan and Haley grinning stupidly at each other.

"Hello, Brooke," Lucas said blandly to her.

"Hello, Lucas," Brooke retorted, rigidly.

"Nathan!" a girl's voice called from behind them.

Turning, Brooke and Haley found themselves face to face with a pretty brunette. She looked almost elfin, with her short hair and almond eyes.

"Haley, Brooke, this is Carly," Nathan grinned as Carly leaned over the table to hug Nathan, nearly causing everything on the table to crash to the floor.

"Lucas!" Carly leaned over the table again and hugged Lucas, whilst Brooke and Haley hastily grabbed the candles and glasses that almost fell off the table.

"You must be Brooke," Carly looked at Brooke and grinned.

"Good guess," Brooke smiled as she shook Carly's hand.

"Well, you look almost identical to the last five girls that Nathan's fallen for," Carly winked at her.

"Really?" Brooke turned to Nathan and chuckled.

"Carly!" Nathan groaned as he glanced at Haley, who was smirking as she stared at the floor.

"And that makes you Haley," Carly offered her hand with a smile.

"Hi," Haley smiled at her. "Please don't tell me that I look like Lucas' past five girlfriends."

Nathan, Lucas and Carly chuckled.

"That'd be pretty hard, since Lucas never lets us meet his girls," Nathan chuckled.

Lucas just rolled his eyes.

"Danny!" Brooke squealed as she noticed the guy behind Carly.

"Hey Brooke," Danny grinned at her. "Hey Haley. You singing tonight?"

"You bet, Danny," Haley grinned at the friendly barman.

"I can't wait," Danny told her. "This time, I get to pay attention to you, instead of trying to hear orders over your voice."

"I guess you guys know each other then," Carly giggled. "Nathan, Lucas, this is Danny. He's a bartender at Tric."

"Yeah, we've met," Nathan smiled as he shook Danny's hand.

"I'm Lucas," Lucas offered his hand as he thought back to that night. From what he could remember, Haley thought Danny had a crush on Brooke. He'd better keep an eye on Brooke, for Carly's sake, he told himself. Brooke soon found herself sitting between Lucas and Danny, while Carly was between Danny and Nathan, with Haley between Lucas and Nathan.

Turning her back to Lucas, Brooke smiled at Danny and Carly.

"So how did you two meet?" she asked interestedly.

"In the park," Carly smiled at Danny. "I'd just bought a coffee and I turned and walked straight into him."

"Luckily, the coffee stayed in the cup," Danny chuckled.

"How long have you been together?" Brooke asked. "And why didn't you ever say anything?" Brooke hit Danny with a laugh.

"We wanted to see whether we were going anywhere first, didn't we?" Danny smiled at Carly.

"Yeah. We've both been a little burned in the past. We wanted to make sure we weren't rushing into anything," Carly smiled up at Danny and squeezed his arm.

"You're lucky to have found each other," Brooke said with a sad smile.

"Carly, come and tell Haley that I don't have a fetish for petite brunettes," Nathan sighed.

Danny leaned in close to Brooke and put his arm around her. "You'll find someone, Brooke. You're too special to be on your own."

Brooke smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder momentarily. "You're a nice man, Danny," she said before lifting her head and sighing.

Lucas watched them with narrowed eyes.

Brooke determinedly ignored Lucas throughout the meal, speaking only to Danny and Carly. Lucas watched Brooke through the entire meal, noting how often she smiled at Danny and how often she put her hand on his arm.

"I'm surprised that you and Nathan didn't click romantically," Carly said idly as she played with her pasta. "You seem so perfect for him."

"A little too perfect, I think," Brooke said with a rueful smile.

"Ah. Yes, you don't want to date yourself," Carly giggled. "Half the fun is learning each other's little quirks. It's no fun if you know them already."

"Exactly," Brooke smiled at her.

"Like, last Saturday, I learnt that Danny hates people who aren't on time," Carly grinned up at him. "I was five minutes late, and ended up apologising for the rest of the evening."

"I wasn't that bad," Danny laughed. "I just don't like being kept waiting."

"I told you I was going to be late," Carly admonished him. "Nathan had to drop Lucas home before me, because Lucas had hurt his hand. You wouldn't think he'd begrudge me that, but he did."

"I did not! Don't listen to her, Brooke," Danny chuckled.

Brooke wasn't listening. With a look of shame on her face, she turned to Lucas, who'd been talking to Haley and Nathan.

Tapping him on the shoulder, Brooke smiled repentantly at him.

Lucas turned towards her and raised his eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," Brooke said, shamefacedly.

He sighed. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I was upset about … something else and I took it out on you, unfairly," Brooke admitted.

"It's really okay, Brooke," Lucas covered her hand.

Brooke stared down at his hand over hers. Lucas quickly withdrew his hand.

"Sorry," he half-laughed.

"No, it's okay," Brooke smiled up at him. "We're forever apologising to each other, huh?"

"Maybe we should just stop thinking the worst about each other," Lucas shook his head as he mentally cleared his head of thoughts about Danny and Brooke.

"Deal," Brooke winked at him.

"Are you going to tell me why you flipped out on me at the weekend?" Lucas teased her.

Brooke lifted her eyebrow before grinning at him. "Let's just say that I've had my share of heartbreak. Unlike you, Mister Casanova!"

Lucas chuckled. "Nathan and Carly are exaggerating. I'm not a player. I just like my privacy."

"I know what you mean," Brooke said softly.

Lucas gave her a curious look, but Brooke just smiled brightly at him. Dropping the subject, Lucas asked where Jake and Peyton were.

"They wanted some time alone," Brooke told him. "Both of them are working now, so they don't get as much time alone together as they'd like."

"It's great that they're settling down here," Lucas smiled at her.

"Yeah, it is," Brooke returned his smile.

They paid for the bill and headed towards Tric; where Haley was due to sing in an hour. Complaining of the cold, Brooke snuggled up to Lucas, pouting at him when he told her to get her cold hands away from him. Laughing, they didn't pay much attention to Nathan putting his arm around Haley when she complained of the cold as well.

They entered the club and the guys went to buy drinks.

"Haley, is there anything you want to tell me?" Brooke looked at her best friend, who blushed prettily.

"We didn't want to say anything, in case it upset you," Haley looked at Brooke, worriedly.

"I think it's great, Hales," Brooke grinned as she hugged her.

"What did I miss?" Carly looked from one girl to the other.

"You didn't notice Haley and Nathan flirting outrageously at dinner? Or that they walked arm in arm all the way here?" Brooke laughed.

"Does that mean you and Lucas are together too?" Carly grinned.

Brooke and Haley burst out laughing. "Never in a million years," Haley shook her head. "Those two have a love/hate thing going on."

"Okay," Carly said with a secret grin.

"Well, well, aren't you two a couple of secret keepers?" Lucas appeared and handed Brooke her Diet Coke before grinning at Haley.

Nathan slipped his arm around Haley and grinned at her.

"Hey! No public displays of affection! Not whilst there are single people around," Lucas teased them.

"Go find yourself a girlfriend then, bro," Nathan retorted with a grin.

"Okay, I'll be back in two minutes," Lucas deadpanned.

Everyone laughed.

"How long until you're on, Haley?" Danny asked her.

"Ten minutes," Haley grinned. "I'm so nervous, I've never performed in front of you guys before."

"Yes you have," Lucas laughed.

"But I didn't know you then," Haley giggled.

"What a difference a month makes," Nathan grinned as he stroked Haley's back.

"Hello Brooke," a voice came from behind them.

"And Haley," another voice spoke.

Brooke and Haley turned slowly.

"Bryan," Haley whispered as she grabbed Nathan's hand and held on tightly.

"James," Brooke's eyes widened and her face drained of color.

"What a surprise, running into the two of you here," Bryan smiled at Haley, who moved closer to Nathan.

"What are doing here?" Brooke asked in a whisper.

"We moved to New York right after graduation," James smiled at her.

Brooke shrank back from him. Lucas frowned, completely at a loss as to who these guys were, and why Haley and Brooke were trying to get away from them. He looked at Nathan, who was shooting daggers at the men.

"Why don't you girls give us a dance, so we can reminisce about the good old days?" Bryan asked as he smiled at Haley.

"I don't think they want to dance with you," Nathan growled.

"Sure they do. We go way back, don't we Brooke?" James smiled at Brooke, leering down her top.

Brooke moved backwards again, and sent a silent plea with her eyes to Lucas.

"Back off," Lucas said softly as he moved next to Brooke.

"Don't tell me you're her boyfriend," James chuckled.

"So what if I am?" Lucas bristled with anger.

"Don't you know Brooke was the slut of our town? Wasn't a guy she hadn't slept with between the ages of 16 and 60," James laughed and high-fived Bryan.

Lucas chuckled. Brooke, hurt and angry, stared up at him. Lucas raised his hand and cupped her face, his eyes gentle even as he continued to chuckle, before turning to Nathan, who eyes were burning with fury. Lucas tipped his head and smirked as he caught Nathan's eye.

Five seconds later, Bryan and James were flat out on the floor, holding their faces and howling with pain.

*

Nathan stepped back, his hand throbbing satisfactorily. He winced as he braced himself for Haley's reaction to his caveman behaviour, but when he turned to face her, he found himself being attacked by a cute little blonde who wrapped herself around him. He felt her trembling and he stroked her back gently.

"Hales, its okay," he whispered in her ear. "I'm here, it's alright."

"Thank you," Haley whispered as she tightened her grip on him.

"Come on, you're due to sing next," Nathan reminded her gently.

"Nathan, I can't sing now!" Haley exclaimed in horror.

"Yes you can," Nathan encouraged her. "You can do anything, and I'll be right there with you. I promise."

Haley stared up at him, uncertain.

"I promise," Nathan repeated.

"Okay," Haley whispered before she let him guide her towards the stage.

"What the hell happened here?" Danny asked as he approached Carly, Lucas and Brooke, eyeing the men lying on the floor. "And why do I always miss the good stuff?"

"Come on, I'll fill you in," Carly said as she pulled Danny away from the scene and patted Lucas on the arm as they left.

Lucas held his stinging hand to his chest as he stared murderously at the man on the floor who'd insulted Brooke. The urge to kick the man when he was down was so overwhelming that he turned away from him. Taking Brooke's arm, he moved her towards an empty table towards the back of the club. She'd stared blankly at him, so he sat her in the booth and slid in next to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Brooke didn't seem to hear him as she looked down at the table.

"Brooke? Are you alright?" he tried again, but there was no reaction from her. "Brooke, it's alright. Those guys won't come near you again." Again, there was no flicker of life in Brooke.

Lucas was worried. He knew Brooke well enough to know that she was a fighter. This silence scared him a little.

He moved slowly. Lifting his hand up, he cupped her face and moved her slowly until she was facing him. Yet her eyes still looked down.

"Brooke, they won't come back, I promise," Lucas told her softly. "They'll have me and Nathan to deal with again if they try."

Nothing.

"Brooke, what is it?" Lucas pleaded with her. "Those guys were jerks. They deserved what Nathan and I did. More, actually," he added darkly.

Brooke lifted her head and looked at him.

He saw her eyes shimmering with tears and pain. Without thinking, he reached out. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight as she rested her head on his chest and let the tears fall.

"Brooke," Lucas murmured, a little shook up at the sight of Brooke crying. "It's okay. It's alright."

Brooke sniffled as she tried to stem her tears. At the sound of a familiar song, she pulled herself out of Lucas' comforting arms and her eyes were drawn to Haley, who was looking down at Brooke with a look of love.

"Are you alright?" Lucas brought her attention back to them.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," Brooke apologised. "I didn't mean to freak out."

"You didn't freak out," Lucas assured her. "They were jerks."

Brooke said nothing as she reached for his hand. Turning it over in her own, she winced as she saw his sore knuckles. She rubbed her thumb gently over the unbroken skin before bringing his hand up to her lips. She kissed his knuckles gently.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Lucas stared at her. The sight of her kissing his bruised knuckles had made him temporarily stop thinking, not to mention the feel of her lips on his skin.

"Like I said, they deserved it," Lucas said gently. He lifted his hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"But you didn't have to be the one to do it, so thank you," Brooke repeated.

"Trust me, it was my pleasure," Lucas grinned at her.

"I thought …" Brooke broke off and looked away, wishing she hadn't spoken.

"You thought?" Lucas asked as he watched her look down at the table again.

"I thought you were laughing at me," Brooke said, barely audible.

Lucas waited. He watched her fidget. He watched her still her own hands. And finally, he watched her look back up at him, with wide eyes.

"Brooke," Lucas said as he reached over and took her hands in his. "I don't know who those guys were, or what they meant to you and Haley. What I do know is that both of you were scared of them. I know that they were jerks. I know that they had no right to say that about you."

He sighed. "I also know that as soon as the words left his mouth, Nathan and I really lost our tempers. That's why I was laughing. I knew they were going to end up flat on their backs, because that's what they deserved."

"Lucas, I …" Brooke paused as she struggled to find the right words. "I know you and I have had our problems, and I know that you didn't have to do what you did, especially since what they were saying confirmed your thoughts about me."

Lucas looked towards the stage and saw Haley singing, but he couldn't hear her. He saw her glances at his brother, and he saw Nathan grinning stupidly up at Haley. He'd been weirded out by the news of their relationship earlier, but he'd barely had time to process it when those guys had arrived. But he was happy for Nathan, now that he thought about it. He and Haley strangely suited each other.

"You want to go home?" Lucas asked Brooke as he turned back to her.

Brooke hesitated.

"I'll be with you the whole time, no-one will hurt you," Lucas promised. "And Haley will understand. She'll be safe with Nathan."

Brooke nodded.

They made their way out of the club without seeing Bryan or James again, despite Brooke's frantic glances in every direction.

"Come here," Lucas said to Brooke as they started walking slowly in the cold. He wrapped his arm around Brooke and sheltered her with his body as she leaned into him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Brooke asked with a smile.

"Because you deserve it, after tonight. I'd hardly be able to live with myself if I was mean to you today," Lucas laughed. "I'm sure I'll be back to my usual ass-like self tomorrow."

"I'll look forward to it," Brooke laughed in reply. "But for tonight, I'll enjoy you being my temporary knight in shining armour."

"I figured I'd fill in for Jake in his absence," Lucas said with a smile.

Brooke chuckled. "He's going to be so mad that he didn't get a chance to punch James again."

"James … I've heard that name before," Lucas racked his memory for the conversation.

"He was my ex, from back in Tree Hill," Brooke sighed.

"Jake punched him, and he wishes he'd punched him harder …" Lucas recalled. "Brooke, what did James do to you?"

"Does it matter?" Brooke sighed.

"I think it might help me to understand why you shouted at me in the park," Lucas said softly. He was beginning to understand, even if Brooke didn't want to tell him. "I think it might help me understand why you put on this big act of being a flirt, yet deep down inside you just want to be loved."

Brooke stumbled as she heard Lucas' words. He stopped and waited for her to steady herself. She looked up at him, looking vulnerable and scared.

"I don't get you, Lucas," Brooke frowned as she looked up at him. "Sometimes you scare me with how much you see without me realising it."

Lucas lifted his arm and waited for Brooke to settle herself next to him once again before they started walking again.

"You're right. James was the reason I yelled at you in the park. I dated him for a year, until I caught him in bed with one of my friends. He took great pleasure in telling me later that he'd been cheating on me for the whole year we'd been together," Brooke shrugged, trying to ease the ache in her heart that remembering him caused.

"Jake was right. We both should have hit him harder," Lucas said casually as he stroked Brooke's shoulder comfortingly.

"After that, I went a bit wild," Brooke confessed. "I went to all the parties I could find. If I couldn't find a party, I'd go to bars. I threw myself at any guy who even glanced at me. James was right."

"Brooke, you were hurting. What you did was understandable," Lucas told her, making a mental note never to think of Brooke being a slut or anything resembling that ever again.

"I let everyone think that I slept around," Brooke stopped and looked up at Lucas. "I wanted everyone to think that I did. I wanted to shield myself from everyone. If everyone thought I was a slut, no-one would expect anything more from me."

"They wouldn't expect a relationship from you," Lucas realised. "The kind of guys who would chase you with your new reputation wouldn't fall in love with you and you wouldn't fall for any of them."

"You're smart, Lucas Scott," Brooke smiled sadly. "It was a way to protect myself. I didn't sleep with any of them. But I did chase them, and I guess I was just a tease."

"That doesn't make you a slut, Brooke," Lucas lifted her chin so she'd look at him. "It makes you human."

"Haley and Peyton always looked out for me," Brooke smiled. "And sometimes Jake would have to step in when guys wouldn't take no for an answer. It's lucky I had them."

"You can add me and Nathan to that list now," Lucas told her.

"Even when we go back to fighting each other tomorrow?" Brooke laughed.

"Even if we hate each other," Lucas promised her. "So who was the other guy?"

"Bryan. He and James were best friends, and he dated Haley for over a year," Brooke frowned as she remembered it all.

"Did he do the same thing?" Lucas asked in disgust.

"Actually, he didn't. He did break Haley's heart though. He broke up with her, telling her that he'd fallen in love with someone else. I heard that his new girlfriend dumped him two weeks later," Brooke giggled.

"It's weird that they both showed up in New York, with the two of you moving here. And that they happened to be in the same club as you at the same time," Lucas frowned.

"Hopefully a coincidence that won't happen again," Brooke sighed.

"Make sure you and Haley don't go anywhere alone though, just in case," Lucas suggested.

"Okay," Brooke said with a grin.

"I mean it, Brooke," Lucas said seriously.

"And I said okay, seriously," Brooke's grin grew wider.

"Why don't I believe you?" Lucas chuckled. "If you don't, then you'll just have to put up with me following you around to keep you safe."

"Aww, my own little puppy dog!" Brooke laughed.

"Shut up, you!" Lucas chuckled. "Just keep yourself away from those losers."

"They aren't dangerous, Lucas," Brooke said seriously. "They're idiots, and jerks, and losers, but they aren't dangerous."

"Let's hope not," Lucas muttered darkly.

"They aren't, Lucas," Brooke assured him. "Look, we got home and nothing happened."

"That's because I'm with you," Lucas pretended to buff his fingers on his jacket.

"Yeah," Brooke deadpanned before giggling.

"So, I guess I'll see you around," Lucas said softly as she turned to face him. "I mean, with Haley dating Nathan, I'm sure we'll bump into each other."

"Yeah," Brooke said brightly. "I'll expect you to act more like your usual assy self and less like my rescuing knight."

"You can count on it," Lucas winked at her with a smile.

"Goodbye, Lucas," Brooke murmured.

"Goodbye Brooke," Lucas murmured.

Brooke smiled up at him before turning around and slowly walking to her door. Lucas watched her step inside and close the door. Feeling a little bereft, Lucas smiled ruefully before turning around and starting the long walk home.

"LUCAS!"

He spun around, only to find Brooke running full steam at him. She caught him and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her and steadied them both, wrapping his arms around her waist. Bemused, he held on whilst she tightened her grip on him, burying her head in his shoulder. Sighing, he breathed in the scent of her hair and enjoyed the feel of her soft, warm body against his.

They stood there, him holding her in his arms, until Brooke loosened her grip and slid down Lucas' body.

"Thank you," she smiled widely up at him before bringing his head down so she could kiss his cheek. Then she turned and ran back inside, whilst Lucas stared after her. Touching his cheek where she'd kissed him, he grinned as he shook his head.

"Crazy girl," he said before heading home.

*

"Nathan, I don't think I can," Haley whispered as the girl on stage came to the end of her set.

"Yes you can," he encouraged her. "Don't let them win."

Haley closed her eyes and listened to the sound of her heartbeat. Despite the shock of seeing Bryan again, and the nerves she felt about singing in approximately fifty seconds, her heartbeat was surprisingly steady.

And it was because of the man standing next to her, holding her hand in his own and stroking the back of her hand reassuringly.

She had been so sure that Lucas was the one for her, yet it was Nathan, with his cocky grin and unexpected sweetness that had captured her heart. Since New Year, she'd known she was destined to be with him. That kiss had opened her eyes in more ways than she'd wanted to admit at the time. She'd wanted to believe that it was a one-off. She'd wanted to believe that she wasn't falling for her best friend's boyfriend, but she had. And she was lucky enough that he'd fallen for her too. She'd been terrified to call him and ask him to lunch, but she'd been helpless to resist her attraction to him. Once she and Lucas had called it a day, and Brooke and Nathan had done the same, Haley had searched her conscience and found herself reaching for the telephone.

Something she'd never have done if she hadn't been so sure that it was the right thing to do. Brooke and Lucas had both taken it so well that she was still slightly bemused by it all. It was almost as if it had been meant be.

" … Haley James!"

Haley shook herself out of her daydreams and stared up at the stage with trepidation. With no signs of movement from her, Nathan shook his head before placing his hand on the small of Haley's back and giving her, in his opinion, a firm, yet loving push. Finding herself propelled onto the stage, Haley turned to glare at a grinning Nathan before walking towards the stool by the microphone in the middle of the stage. She stopped to tell one of the musicians her song choices, before taking hold of the microphone.

As the first chords played, Haley searched the crowd for a familiar face. She wanted more than anything to be with Brooke and hold her close, to tell her that she was the most wonderful, amazing person in the world … yet she was stuck up on stage. So she did the only thing she could, she sang to Brooke. Ignoring the crowd before her, looking straight at Brooke, Haley began to sing.

" _There's a hero, if you look inside your heart. You don't have to be afraid of what you are. There's an answer, if you reach into your soul, and the sorrow that you know will melt away …"_

Haley sang the words she'd sung a thousand times before, letting the words speak to Brooke as Haley couldn't.

" _And you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive …"_  Haley sang as she watched Brooke lift her head and look up at her. Haley grinned as she watched Brooke smile in response to the song.

By the end of the song, Haley had watched Brooke leave with Lucas in interest. She'd thought that Lucas and Brooke hated each other, but she'd seen him put his arms around her. She'd been so busy with Nathan that she hadn't paid much attention to Brooke and Lucas' interaction with each other recently. She'd have to talk to Brooke and find out if there was something going on …

Three songs later, Haley stepped off stage, grinning widely as she listened to the crowd cheer and applaud her. Seeing Nathan waiting for her at the bottom of the stage steps made Haley's heart skip a beat. She bounded off the last step and landed in his open arms before he twirled her around, chuckling as she squealed.

"Haley James, you are amazing," Nathan told her as he gently lowered her to the floor.

Haley blushed as she gazed up into the warm eyes of her boyfriend. Just thinking of him as her boyfriend made her smile glow a little brighter.

"Come on," he grinned at her as he captured her hand and led her out the back entrance to the club.

"How are your knuckles?" Haley asked as she turned his hand over to examine the bruises.

"Better than the guy who was on the other end of them," Nathan smirked.

"I hope so," Haley sighed as she stroked his hand.

"You want to tell me who they were?" Nathan asked softly.

Haley sighed. She knew she had to tell Nathan, but part of her just wanted to pretend that Bryan had never been a part of her life. But that wasn't fair to either her or the man standing next to her. The man who'd floored a guy just to defend her. The man who'd made her sing, when she thought she couldn't. The man who was holding her hand gently and walking her home.

"James was Brooke's ex-boyfriend, who cheated on her and left her a wreck. She went a bit wild afterwards, but she's calming down now, finally. Bryan is his best friend. And my ex-boyfriend," Haley admitted, biting her lip nervously.

"Why did either of you date losers like them?" Nathan asked, more bemused than anything.

"Because they used to be nice guys. Or we thought they were. Bryan didn't treat me half as badly as James treated Brooke though," Haley tucked her hand through his arm and leant into his warm body.

"Maybe not, but he wasn't Prince Charming, I bet," Nathan said darkly.

"I thought he was, for a year. Then he told me out of the blue one day that he was in love with someone else," Haley unconsciously tightened her grip on Nathan's arm.

Nathan didn't say anything, yet he wrapped his arm around her and held her closer to him.

"I was devastated at the time. I thought … well, I thought I was in love," Haley said softly. "We both did."

"Everyone's had their heart broken, Hales," Nathan said softly.

"I know," Haley sighed. "But you don't always come face to face with the person who first broke your heart two years later, in a different town, in a different state."

"That's true," Nathan frowned. "I wonder why they felt the need to come over and say that crap to Brooke."

"Probably because Brooke looked like she was having fun," Haley sighed. "James used to take every opportunity to belittle Brooke once she broke up with him, until Jake stepped in one day and laid him out flat in the cafeteria in front of everyone."

"Good for Jake," Nathan chuckled.

"It was just the best day," Haley giggled.

"It's a good thing Lucas and I were there then," Nathan paused and brought Haley round to face him. "I thought you'd hate fighting."

"Generally, I do. But people like James and Bryan deserve it," Haley smiled up at him.

"Yeah, they really do," Nathan muttered.

"It was nice of Lucas to step in to defend Brooke," Haley murmured innocently. "He even said he was her boyfriend. And he really landed that punch on James."

"Lucas would defend a stray dog if he thought it needed it," Nathan laughed, oblivious to Haley's glare aimed at him.

"Come on," Haley pulled a face at him as she pulled him along. "It's getting cold."

Nathan wrapped his arm around her again as they reached her street.

"Well, tonight was certainly interesting," Haley sighed as they reached her door.

"It sure was," Nathan chuckled. "Maybe we'll just have a tame night in for our next date."

"Sounds perfect to me," Haley murmured as she laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"You're safe with me, Hales," Nathan said softly. "I won't break your heart."

"I know," Haley smiled into his coat. "I trust you, Nathan."

Nathan tipped her head up and dipped his head. Their lips met in a sweet, simple kiss.

"Goodnight, Haley," Nathan whispered.

"Goodnight, Nathan," Haley smiled up at him before turning and unlocking her door. Stepping inside, she smiled again before closing it.

"Sweet dreams, Hales," Nathan murmured before he turned and started the long walk home.

*

"You know you make every other girl in the room pale in comparison, right?" Lucas smiled softly, looking deep into the brown eyes of the girl next to him. He stroked her hand idly, paying her such attention that she felt like the only girl in the world.

"It's scary how good you are at this," she whispered with a shy smile.

"You make it easy," he replied easily, with a little wink.

"Okay, now you're just being cheesy," she giggled, blushing prettily.

"I am not cheesy!" Lucas replied in mock outrage.

"You're a little cheesy, but in a good way," she divulged before reaching out to stroke his cheek.

"I'd say I was more charming than cheesy," Lucas pouted slightly, leaning into her hand.

"You're very charming," Brooke confessed, smiling up at Lucas, who lifted his arm to fit around her shoulders and bring her closer into his body.

"Is anyone else like, really freaked out right now?" Haley whispered to Nathan, Peyton and Jake.

"Yes!" came three identical hushed replies.

_Two weeks previous:_

As happy as Brooke was for Haley and Peyton, three weeks of being surrounded by two ridiculously happy couples was driving her insane. Nathan had been round almost every evening since he and Haley had confessed they were dating, leaving Brooke on the lonely chair whilst the other couples huddled on the couch or stood whispering sweet nothings in the kitchen to each other whilst they cooked dinner. Peyton and Jake were wrapped up in their new jobs and marriage plans, which had resulted in Brooke spending a lot of time with her favorite girl, but there was only so much time she could spend with Jenny without the child thinking she had a new mother. She couldn't even escape the happiness when she was at work, as Haley and Peyton called her at least twice each every day to remind her how happy they both were.

Last night had been the last straw though. Haley and Nathan had cornered her in the kitchen, with Jake and Peyton grinning at her from the couch, and 'suggested' that she go on a date with Lucas. Brooke had shaken off her speechlessness and grabbed her purse before running out of the apartment as if the hounds of hell were after her. And she wasn't sure her friends didn't match that description. She'd wandered around the city, lost in her own little world and happy to watch young lovers, old friends or quirky individuals as they slipped in and out of Brooke's sight.

She knew why they'd suggested she go on a date with Lucas. For a start, it'd make a cosy trio of couples, all of them nicely paired off with each other. And secondly, they'd been hounding her about him since the night they'd run into James and Bryan. His girlfriend comment, coupled with him punching James and walking her home had fuelled enough suspicion for Peyton and Haley to ask questions. Not to mention Jake's mutterings about missing out on hitting James again. But she hadn't heard from Lucas since that night. She'd heard Nathan say that they were really busy at the agency at the moment, yet Nathan found time to see Haley every day, whilst Lucas hadn't managed a single telephone call, asking if she was alright after that night. Brooke didn't care that he hadn't called, but she'd started to expect something from Lucas, which was dangerous. Very dangerous indeed. She and Lucas weren't a couple. They barely tolerated each other on a normal day. Yes, there had been that one-off kiss at New Year, but that was a fluke. And just because he'd been sweet to her a couple of times … that was no reason for her to start expecting anything from him.

"Brooke," a deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

Her blood ran cold. Looking up from the bench where she'd sat with a cup of hot chocolate, she found herself staring at James.

"Are you following me?" she asked bluntly.

"You always did think you were the centre of the universe, didn't you Brooke?" James laughed softly as he sat next to her.

"Your games don't work anymore, James," Brooke sighed as she stared straight ahead, not seeing anything, just concentrating on getting away as soon as possible without losing her dignity.

"What games?" James asked innocently. "If anyone is playing games, it's you."

"Me? I don't care enough about you to play games with you," Brooke said stiffly.

"I think you do," James said softly, leaning a little closer to her. "Remember all those parties you used to go to, all the beer you used to drink, all the guys you used to fuck, trying to get me out of your head?"

"In the past," Brooke reminded him, feeling a little light-headed and sick.

"Yet here you are, months later in a new city, still going to clubs and picking up random guys who you never see again," James sighed. "It's a vicious circle, Brooke. You should really just try to get over me. Unless you want to try again?"

Brooke spluttered as her laugh caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"

"I'd never pictured you as a girl who liked being treated badly, Brooke, yet if you're still pining after me, I'm more than happy to pick up where we left off," James suggested.

"Are you being serious?" Brooke stared at him in disbelief.

"I know you aren't dating that guy who called himself your boyfriend," James said lightly.

"And how would you know that, James? Have you really been following me?" Brooke asked, appalled.

"I've seen you around and about," James said nonchalantly. "And I've never seen you with him."

"He's been busy," Brooke muttered, panic rising inside her. How had James seen her around and about? How had he seen her enough times to know that she wasn't seeing Lucas?

"Or he's just a random guy you met that night and haven't seen since," James needled her.

"Stop following me, James, or I'll go to the cops," Brooke warned him before standing up and walking briskly away.

Once she'd turned the corner, Brooke had run home and headed straight to her room without talking to the others, who'd assumed she was annoyed at them. She'd sat on her bed, shaking for almost an hour, before climbing into bed, still fully clothed, and staring at her ceiling for most of the night, finally dropping off into a fitful sleep only an hour before she was due to get up for work.

Mandy had sent her home by lunchtime, since Brooke had looked dead on her feet, and jumped a mile every time the shop door opened. By the third day since she'd seen James, Brooke was nervous wreck, and she refused to open up to Haley or Peyton. She spent the weekend indoors, refusing to go out and Haley finally decided to bring in the boys.

On Monday, Jake took Jenny and Brooke to get ice-cream. His attempts to get something out of Brooke were unsuccessful, but he did notice her looking around nervously. On Tuesday, Nathan sat with Brooke as Haley sang in the club, but Brooke didn't say a word. He did notice that she sat close to him, and inched her way closer whilst looking around the club.

On Wednesday, Haley, Peyton, Jake and Nathan sat in Nathan's apartment, trying to figure out what was wrong with Brooke.

"It has to be James," Haley sighed. "He must have really gotten to her that night."

"But why the delay?" Peyton asked. "She was fine until last week."

"Maybe she saw him again," Nathan's expression darkened. "Remember the night she ran out of the house, and when she came back, she didn't talk to any of us but ran straight into her room?"

"I bet I know just what he said to her, too," Jake growled, his muscles tensing. "She was all alone."

"Who was all alone?" Lucas asked tiredly as he stepped into the apartment and threw his briefcase on the floor before flopping into a chair and staring at the others.

"We haven't seen you in a while," Peyton smiled at him.

"Busy time," Lucas sighed. "Who was all alone? And why are you all here?"

"Brooke, in answer to both your questions," Haley sighed as she got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Well, of course she's alone if you're all here," Lucas said, confused.

"No, she was alone and something happened and that's why we're here, because she won't tell us what happened," Nathan said, kicking his brother.

"What happened to her?" Lucas sat up, suddenly alert.

"We think she bumped into James and he said something to make her jumpy," Haley told him as she handed him a piece of the pizza they'd ordered earlier.

"Why won't she tell you what happened?" Lucas asked before taking a bite of the pizza.

"She probably doesn't want to worry us," Peyton sighed. "It doesn't occur to her that she worries us when she doesn't tell us what's wrong."

"I'll go and see her," Lucas decided, standing up.

"She won't tell you," Nathan laughed.

"She will," Lucas said grimly as he took the pizza and stalked out of the door.

"Okay then," Peyton said slowly. "What's that all about?"

Brooke stood in the apartment, staring at the door. Someone was banging on it loudly.

"Brooke, it's me, let me in," Lucas shouted.

Brooke let out a sigh of relief before running to the door and opening it. Lucas took one look at her before sighing and opening his arms to her. Brooke stepped into his embrace and let him hold her.

"Come on," he muttered, dragging her inside and closing the door.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked, embarrassed at the way she'd let him hold her.

"There's a big meeting at my place about you," Lucas said bluntly.

"Oh," Brooke sighed and sat on the couch.

"So, you want to tell me what James said to you?" Lucas asked as he sat next to her.

"They know I saw James?" Brooke stared at him.

"Yeah," Lucas nodded.

Brooke gave in and told Lucas what James had said to her.

"He's been following you?" Lucas growled.

"Apparently," Brooke said miserably.

"What a creep," Lucas' eyes narrowed. "If you see him following you, you should go straight to the cops."

"I know," Brooke agreed.

"In the meantime, there's only one thing for it," Lucas sighed.

"What?" Brooke looked up at him.

"You and I are going to date," Lucas said, matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me?" Brooke spluttered.

"It'll stop him coming near you because I'll be there. And he'll think we really are dating, so he'll just disappear after a while," Lucas pointed out. "It's simple."

"Yeah, except that we're not dating," Brooke said, confused.

"Do you have any hot dates coming up?" he asked.

"No," she admitted.

"Me neither. And we've moved past the point of hating each other, so we should be able to spend a couple of hours a week together without arguing," he grinned.

"But what about all the other stuff?" Brooke asked, fidgeting.

"What other stuff?" Lucas asked.

"If he's watching us, he'll expect us to act all … coupley," Brooke stumbled over the words.

Lucas looked at her. Taking her hand, he brought it up to his lips. "I played Hamlet in high school," he winked.

"Hamlet drove his girlfriend to suicide," Brooke laughed.

"I'll try to be a better fake boyfriend than a fake Danish Prince," Lucas promised solemnly.

"Lucas, you don't have to do this," Brooke said seriously.

"Yes I do," he corrected her. "I was the one who said I was your boyfriend. And hell, it'll get me out of the office."

"Nathan said you'd been busy," Brooke bit her lip.

"I've barely had time to sleep," he told her. "Nathan told me that you were okay, otherwise I would have called."

"I wouldn't expect you to call me," Brooke laughed lightly, cringing inside.

"Yuh-huh," Lucas laughed.

"Shut up!" Brooke laughed, shoving him into the couch and falling next to him.

"Who cares if it's freaking you out," Lucas said to them, still smiling into Brooke's eyes. "Who knows where this nutcase is right now?"

"Yeah, we know, Lucas," Nathan sighed. "It's still strange as hell to watch you two pretend to be in love."

"How can you say such a thing, Nathan?" Brooke winked at him. "Your brother and I were meant for each other."

"Yeah, like Romeo and Juliet," Lucas agreed, laughing.

"Then we should be dead right now," Brooke giggled.

"Oh yeah," Lucas frowned. "Okay, more like …"

"Britney and Kevin?"

"Nick and Jessica?"

"Brad and Jen?"

"You guys better do a better job of this if James ever turns up," Brooke laughed.

"If James turns up, we'll be busy planning your dream wedding," Haley sighed dramatically and rested her head on her hands, a dreamy smile on her face.

"I see Jenny in a beautiful blue dress, walking up the aisle, sprinkling flowers down the aisle," Peyton imitated Haley's position and dreamy smile.

"That's better," Brooke grinned.

"But honey, I thought we were going to get married in Vegas," Lucas cried theatrically.

"We will, baby, we will," Brooke patted his hand and grinned up at him.

*

"How do you cope, man?" Nathan shut the door behind him and leant against it. "I couldn't live in a house with four girls and no male company."

"You'd never get a hot shower," Lucas agreed.

"Or be able to watch a whole game without someone changing the channel to watch some lame show about rich teenagers and their drama," Nathan continued.

"Or do the general things that men do," Lucas said in a gruff, macho voice.

Jake laughed as they made their way down the street away from the girls' apartment. "What if two of those girls were the reason you got through the day? What if two of those girls were the reason you couldn't wait to get home to see everyday? What if two of those girls smiled a smile that lit up the world for you?"

Jake filled the silence that followed his words by whistling a little tune.

"Huh," Nathan said eventually.

"That sounds … pretty good," Lucas said thoughtfully.

Jake grinned. "And then when you think that the other two girls are like my little sisters, and they're the best friends of your fiancée, not to mention ready-made babysitters, it's a pretty sweet setup."

"I take it back man, you're living the life of a god," Nathan chuckled wryly.

"Almost, but not quite," Jake agreed with a laugh.

"Oh yeah," Lucas turned to Nathan with a wicked grin. "All you're missing is the bachelor party."

Nathan's expression turned positively sinful. "A bachelor party …"

"Who's your best man?" Lucas asked Jake, laughing at Nathan's look.

"I don't know," Jake shrugged. "But in lieu of a best man, I guess you guys could come up with something."

"Jake, my friend," Nathan slung his arm around Jake's shoulders, "You won't regret this decision."

"Yuh-huh," Jake laughed.

"Has Peyton picked a day yet?" Nathan asked.

"I doubt Peyton will ever pick a day," Jake said sagely. "If anyone picks the day, it'll be Brooke."

"Brooke will pick your wedding day?" Lucas asked, confused.

"Brooke will probably plan the whole day, single-handed. And Peyton will love her more for it," Jake grinned.

"Okay," Nathan shrugged. "Whatever works for you. I'll check with Brooke and plan a bachelor night that you won't forget."

"And I'll make sure you won't forget it for the right reasons," Lucas whispered to Jake.

"Thanks man," Jake whispered back.

"It won't be for a while though, right? You said next year," Nathan remembered.

"Well, that was the initial plan," Jake grimaced.

"Let me guess … Brooke?" Lucas laughed.

"If she has her way, we'll be walking down an aisle in two months," he sighed.

"Well, I guess it'd make sense for the custody battle," Nathan pointed out.

"I know," Jake nodded. "I just wanted to put Nikki behind me before Peyton and I started our life together."

"You and Peyton started your life together a long time ago," Lucas said gently. "Don't let Nikki come between you and what you really want."

"I never really thought about it like that," Jake frowned.

"Then it's a good thing you met us," Nathan grinned as their apartment came into view. "Male company, that's what you need."

"Basketball and beer," Lucas agreed. "Although the girls will probably get here before the beer appears."

"I'll go grab the ball," Nathan told them before running towards the apartment.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you," Jake said to Lucas as they headed for the court.

"Thank me?" Lucas asked, puzzled.

"For the whole James situation," Jake explained. "What I wouldn't give to have been at the club that night."

"I can't picture you as violent, Jake," Lucas shook his head. "You're too level-headed."

"Most of the time," Jake agreed. "But the girls are special."

"Yeah, they are," Lucas said softly.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it. Just don't mess Brooke around, okay?" Jake said, a slight warning in his voice.

"I wouldn't," Lucas' eyes narrowed.

"Not deliberately, no," Jake admitted. "But just make sure that you both know that the arrangement you have is temporary."

"Of course," Lucas laughed lightly, but his mind was firing.

A ball went sailing over their heads and into the basket behind them.

"Nothin' but net," Nathan bragged as he jogged towards them.

"They're mighty big words, coming from someone who lost last week," Lucas picked up the ball and shot a perfect basket.

"I had the flu!" Nathan protested.

"He coughed a few times," Lucas told Jake with a grin.

"Game time!" a guy yelled from the other side of the court.

"Jake, these are the guys we play with," Lucas proceeded to introduce them before they launched into a game of three-on-three, with the three boys on the same team.

An hour later, and the game had quite an audience. Nathan, Lucas and Jake were up by five, and each trying to outdo the others. Nathan had run from one side of the court to the other, swerving past every player before dunking the ball with a loud whoop. His grin had widened as he'd heard Haley's answering whoop in the crowd. Lucas had responded to Nathan by making a shot from near the halfway line, and been treated to a wolf-whistle and wink from Brooke. Jake, being a more conservative player, had merely watched them with a small smile. The next time Nathan had the ball, he'd had a plan to outdo Lucas again, but Jake had stolen the ball from him and after some fancy tricks straight from the Globetrotters, he'd dunked the ball himself before laughing at Nathan's bemusement.

"We're on the same team!" Nathan laughingly yelled at Jake, who just laughed at him.

Peyton, not to be outdone by Haley's whoop and Brooke's wolf-whistle, had grabbed the girls and performed an impromptu cheer, taking the four of them back to the gym in Tree Hill, the girls cheering as Jake stole the ball from the opponents, again and again.

"Dude, we're dating cheerleaders," Nathan said in awe.

"That's just … beautiful," Lucas stared at them.

"Do you think Hales still has a uniform?" Nathan wondered.

"Ask her," Lucas chuckled as he watched Brooke do a little cheer with Jenny in her arms.

"Do you think James is around?" Nathan asked in a low tone as he watched Brooke too.

"I'm kinda hoping he is," Lucas said with a glint in his eye. He slapped his brother on the back before jogging over to Brooke, putting his arm around her and offering his little finger to Jenny, who grabbed it enthusiastically.

"It's still freaking me out," Haley laughed as she slid into Nathan's embrace.

"I don't know, it's kind of growing on me," Nathan admitted.

"They are surprisingly cute together," Haley admitted as she watched Jenny crawl into Lucas' free arm, his other still around Brooke.

"Are they now?" Nathan grinned as he looked down at his girlfriend. "Are they out-cuteing us?"

"No way," Haley laughed. "We're totally the cutest couple on the court."

"Well, maybe we should practise being more adorable, just in case," Nathan whispered as he lowered his head.

"You and your competitive streak," Haley giggled before Nathan's lips captured her own and she sank into his kiss.

"How was the afternoon of male stuff?" Peyton asked her fiancé.

"They're good guys," Jake grinned. "As much as I love my girls, it's nice to have a bit of testosterone-filled grunting every now and again."

"Uh," Peyton laughed. "Just so long as you keep that testosterone grunting to when you're with Nathan and Lucas."

"At least until we're in our own place," Jake whispered wickedly in her ear.

"Jake!" Peyton laughed as she threw her arms around him.

"It's all coming together, Pey," Jake sighed as his arms encircled her small body and brought her closer to him.

"We deserve it," Peyton murmured as she closed her eyes.

"I know, babe. I know," Jake hugged her tighter.

"We're so lucky," Peyton felt her eyes water and she blinked.

"We'll always be the luckiest people in the world," Jake whispered as he ran his hands through her hair.

"I know," Peyton smiled.

"Peyton," Jake leant back and looked into Peyton's eyes. "I wanted to wait until after the custody stuff was out of the way, but the guys made me realise that I was being stupid," he said ruefully. "I want us to get married as soon as Brooke can arrange it."

"Jake, really?" Peyton gasped in delight.

"Really," Jake grinned.

"Jake!" Peyton squealed as she threw herself at him.

He picked her up and twirled her around, both of them laughing before he lowered her to the ground. Cupping her face with his hand, he spoke softly. "Always, babe. Always."

"Excuse me, but you're being cuter than us," Nathan interrupted them.

"Sorry?" Peyton laughed as she lifted her head.

"Nathan's ridiculously competitive," Haley said apologetically.

"You want to be the cutest?" Jake asked Nathan with a laugh.

"Yes," Nathan scowled. "What? Shut up."

"Come on," Haley dragged him away. "Let's go pick a movie to watch."

"We're picking the food then," Peyton decided as she collected Jenny from Lucas.

"That leaves us with …" Lucas trailed off as he looked questioningly at Brooke as they followed the others.

"Sitting through some stupid romantic comedy with Hugh Grant and Vietnamese for dinner," Brooke grimaced.

"… Okay. We're in charge of food  _and_  picking the movie next time!" Lucas yelled at the retreating backs of their friends.

"So, you're pretty good at basketball," Brooke smiled slightly.

"Pretty good!" Lucas cried in outrage.

Brooke laughed. "Okay, you're awesome, is that better?"

"A bit," Lucas glared at her.

"You're ten times better than Jake or Nathan?" Brooke tried again.

"Better," Lucas muttered.

"You, Lucas Scott, are the best basketball player I've ever seen in my life and I worship the court you play on," Brooke grinned.

"That's more like it," Lucas grinned and threw his arm around her shoulder.

"You're a fairly easy guy to please, Lucas," Brooke laughed.

"Hey, winning a game of basketball with my brother and our new friend, being cheered on by a trio of beautiful women and a gorgeous little lady who has captured my heart and a kiss from one of the beautiful women is all I need in life," Lucas stopped and spun Brooke in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Brooke asked breathlessly.

"Just in case he's here," Lucas murmured as he bent his head.

*

"Lucas," Brooke murmured as she turned her head so his lips caressed her cheek. "This isn't a good idea."

"Couples kiss, Brooke," Lucas murmured in response as he trailed butterfly kisses down her neck.

"Real couples do," Brooke agreed as she arched her neck instinctively.

"Fake couples pretending to be real couples do too," Lucas whispered as he found a sensitive area on her nape.

Brooke shuddered as he kissed the sensitive area on her nape that turned her legs to jelly. "Lucas, please don't," she pleaded in a sigh.

"Okay," he said normally, bringing his head up to grin at her as if nothing had happened.

Brooke stared at him. "You jerk!" she half-laughed, half-cried as she swatted his chest in outrage.

"Hey, I have to get some privileges as your fake boyfriend," Lucas laughed.

"You're far too convincing," Brooke shook her head as she linked her arm through his.

"You're pretty damn convincing yourself, Miss Davis," Lucas grinned.

"You just wait, Mr Scott. You ain't seen nothing yet," Brooke's voice turned wickedly seductive.

"I can't wait," Lucas laughed. "Any time you wanna get your revenge, I'm ready and willing."

"I bet you are," Brooke giggled. "Come on, we might be able to convince Haley not to watch Notting Hill."

Lucas stared at her in horror. "What are you waiting for? Run!"

They broke into a run, giggling as they made it to his apartment, hand in hand.

"Haley James, you better not be anywhere near a Hugh Grant film!" Lucas yelled as he opened the door.

"I'm on it!" Nathan answered him.

"But I like Hugh Grant," Haley whined as they flicked through the films on cable.

"You're probably the only one," Nathan rolled his eyes.

"His accent is so cute!" Haley grinned as she looked up at him from her position on the floor.

"No it's not," Nathan looked at her in disgust. "No-one speaks like that normally."

"In England they do," Haley pouted.

"Been there, have you?" Nathan cocked an eyebrow.

"No," Haley muttered.

"Come here," Nathan leaned forward and picked her up, placing her on his lap. Tilting her head, he dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay, we don't have to watch a Hugh Grant film," Haley sighed as she snuggled into his lap.

"Now, how do you feel about Bruce Willis?" Nathan grinned.

"Veto!" Haley laughed.

"Sly Stallone?" Nathan asked hopefully.

"Veto!" Haley shook her head. "All bad action film stars are vetoed."

"Even Arnie?" Nathan pouted.

"Especially Arnie," Haley said firmly.

"You know, Hales, maybe us dating isn't such a good idea …" Nathan trailed off into laughter as Haley hit him.

"Watch it, mister!" Haley laughed.

"Ow," Nathan rubbed his shoulder. "That's a mean right hook you've got there."

"Jake taught me," Haley said smugly.

"Maybe Jake can teach me," Nathan laughed.

"You don't need any lessons. You floored Bryan easily enough," Haley snuggled in closer to him.

"At least I don't have to worry about you being able to floor him if you ever needed to," Nathan stroked her leg idly. "Just give him one of those right hooks and you'll be fine."

"I doubt we'll see him again," Haley sighed. "I hope not, anyway."

"Well, with James doing the stalker routine on Brooke, you can't be too careful," Nathan warned her.

"At least I've got a real boyfriend to look out for me," Haley grinned.

"Damn straight you do," Nathan grinned back at her.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Brooke and Lucas really were dating?" Haley glanced over Nathan's shoulder and watched them trying to plead with Peyton. "They look good together. We'd all be paired off perfectly."

"Lucas wouldn't date someone like Brooke," Nathan said with certainty.

"What do you mean?" Haley frowned at him, tensing.

"Relax, Hales. You know I adore Brooke," Nathan raised his index finger to her lips. "She isn't the only one with a past, though."

"What happened?" Haley asked in a hushed tone.

"Someone hurt him pretty bad, Hales. A girl who shares some similarities to Brooke, both physically and personality-wise. Lucas learnt a pretty tough lesson, one that he won't forget in a hurry," Nathan said quietly.

"Brooke would never hurt him," Haley frowned. "You know that, Nate."

"I know. But Lucas might not know that. And even if he did, there are some things buried too far deep in his soul to overcome them," Nathan sighed. "Besides, this is Brooke and Lucas. They can't stop fighting for more than a few hours."

"I don't know," Haley said slowly. "There's something between them."

"If there is, it won't go any further," Nathan said with such conviction that Haley decided she needed to speak to Brooke. If Haley knew her best friend at all, she knew Brooke was feeling a little more than just friendship for Lucas.

"Let's take a vote," Brooke said as she walked into the den. "Who wants pizza?"

"We had pizza last night," Nathan pointed out.

"Chinese?" Brooke suggested.

"Sounds good," Nathan shrugged. Haley nodded. Lucas shrugged.

"Chinese it is!" Brooke grinned as she headed back into the kitchen.

"What film are we watching?" Lucas asked as he sat on the couch.

"Um, we haven't picked yet," Haley said guiltily.

"Die Hard?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"She's vetoed Bruce, Arnie and Sly," Nathan moaned.

"Why are you dating her, man?" Lucas asked with a laugh.

"Hey!" Haley laughed, sticking out her leg and kicking him.

"Titanic?" Brooke asked as she walked back into the den.

"No!" three male voices echoed.

"Fine," Brooke sulked, sitting next to Lucas.

"Maybe Peyton should pick," Haley suggested. "She's more neutral to the boy-girl divide in film selection."

"When Harry Met Sally," Peyton yelled from the kitchen.

"Isn't that a chick flick?" Lucas asked Nathan.

"I think so," Nathan muttered.

"It's not too bad, actually," Jake sat down and took the remote.

"Okay," Nathan said warily.

"Food will be here in half an hour," Peyton said as she curled up next to Jake.

"Lucas, can I have your duvet?" Brooke looked up at him and smiled prettily.

"I can turn the heating up if you're cold," Lucas said.

"Brooke could be in the Bahamas and she'd still want a duvet to watch a film under," Haley laughed.

"It's more comfortable," Brooke whined.

"Okay," Lucas laughed. "Does anyone else want a duvet?"

"Me!" Peyton and Haley said in unison.

"See! It's not just me!" Brooke grinned.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone had a duvet. Haley was curled up in Nathan's lap in the chair. Peyton was leaning on Jake's shoulder on the sofa with Jenny tucked between them, sleeping peacefully. Brooke had piled all the cushions she could find onto the arm of the sofa she shared with Lucas and leaned back against them, tucking her feet under his leg.

"Someone's going to have to let the delivery man in," Jake murmured.

"I'm too comfortable," Haley groaned.

"Me too," Brooke sighed.

"If I get up, Haley will have to get up too," Nathan pointed out.

"And that's not happening," Haley grinned as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'll get up," Lucas shook his head. "You guys are so lazy."

"Yeah, you guys," Brooke rolled her eyes as the others laughed at her.

Two hours later, the film had finished.

"Okay, it wasn't too bad," Nathan admitted.

"Still girly though," Lucas pointed out.

"Oh, stop whining," Brooke kicked him lightly.

"He hasn't stopped whining in twenty five years, Brooke. I don't like your chances of stemming it now," Nathan grinned.

"I forget how old you are sometimes," Brooke looked at Lucas. "You don't seem old."

"Thanks," Lucas laughed.

"No, you know what I mean!" Brooke giggled. "You're five years older than us. And six years older than Peyton and Jake. That's a big gap."

"Hey, Nathan's only a year younger than me," Lucas protested.

"He's old too," Brooke dismissed him.

"Hey!" Nathan frowned. "Twenty four is young!"

"Well, Jake and Peyton are nineteen, and they have a baby and they're engaged, so technically, they're the most mature," Haley laughed.

"Yeah, they're all sorted. And so are you old guys," Brooke teased. "Haley, maybe we need to get a move on sorting out our lives."

"Sorting them out how?" Lucas asked, curious.

"My course finishes in a month. I'm going to pitch an idea to Mandy that I can design and make originals for Rueful," Brooke sighed, a dreamy look on her face.

"Haley?" Nathan prompted.

"I don't know what I want to do," Haley sighed. "All I know is, I don't want to be working at the paper for the next forty years."

"You'll figure it out," Nathan whispered in her ear.

"Don't blame yourselves for being behind," Peyton teased them. "It's not your fault you're a year behind everyone else."

Haley grabbed one of Brooke's cushions and threw it at her.

"Hey, mind the baby," Jake laughed as he caught it easily.

"You never told us why you repeated kindergarten, Brooke," Nathan turned his head and looked at her.

"Oh, long story," Brooke waved him away.

"Come on, Brooke. You can tell us," Lucas grinned at her. "We won't laugh."

"No, you won't laugh," Brooke muttered.

"Tell us," Nathan prodded her.

"I didn't repeat kindergarten," Brooke said quietly, looking at Peyton, then Haley, who smiled at her.

"Then why were you a year behind?" Lucas asked softly, catching her look at the girls.

"My parents weren't around much. They forgot to enrol me for a year," Brooke muttered.

"They forgot to enrol you in school?" Lucas asked slowly.

"Yeah. They forgot. Isn't that a great story? What's the next film?" Brooke said brightly.

"Notting Hill," Haley said quickly to help Brooke change the subject.

"The second you start quoting with the actors, we're stopping it," Peyton said quickly too.

"Can I sing when Aint No Sunshine comes on?" Haley pleaded.

"Fine, but nothing else," Peyton grinned.

Jake ordered the film, and they settled to watch it, trying to keep the conversation light.

Brooke felt Lucas' hand on her leg. Determined not to look at him, she nevertheless felt comforted by his touch. Ten minutes into the film, Brooke switched sides on the sofa, laying her head in Lucas' lap, smiling as she felt his hand stroking her hair gently.

*

"Come on Hales," Brooke pleaded as she knelt before her.

"No!" Haley pouted.

"Please," Brooke begged. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but they have to do what's right for them."

"No!" Haley folded her arms and glared at the floor.

Brooke sighed as she stood up and glared at Peyton and Jake, who were looking shifty and guilty. "Look what you've done to her! You've turned her into a petulant child. And we all know that's my thing."

"How come the actual child in the room is taking this better than them?" Peyton half-whispered to Jake.

"Because she's a baby! She doesn't know what's going on," Brooke growled at them. "If Jenny knew she wouldn't see her Aunt Haley and Aunt Brookie every day, she'd be sulking too."

"Hawy," Jenny gurgled as she walked unsteadily towards Haley and lifted her arms up.

Haley picked her up and snuggled the baby into her arms. "You won't leave me, will you, sweetie?"

Jenny gurgled in response as she played with Haley's hair.

"We're not leaving you!" Peyton threw her hands in the air and sighed. "We're moving three blocks away. You'll still see us everyday and we'll still spend our weekends in each others pockets."

"Promise?" Haley pouted.

"We promise," Jake said sincerely, putting his hand on his heart.

"And we can come round whenever we like?" Brooke prompted as she sat next to Haley and folded her arms.

"Whenever you like," Peyton sighed again. "But don't expect smiles and hugs if you come round at 3am."

"That's better," Brooke grinned. "That's what she said to me when I started hitting those parties," she said to Haley.

"I meant it then and I mean it now," Peyton grinned.

"Does this mean we can actually move our stuff now?" Jake asked hesitantly.

"I guess," Haley muttered as she gathered Jenny close and stood up. Brooke did the same.

"Wasn't that uncomfortable?" Jake asked as he looked at all their belongings, strewn across the couch.

"Discomfort is a small price to pay when you're bribing friends to not abandon you," Haley shrugged.

"Are the guys coming over to help?" Peyton asked as she starting piling clothes into boxes.

"Lucas can't because he's visiting their parents," Brooke shrugged as she helped her.

"Nathan's coming over later, after he's had lunch with Carly," Haley said with a smile.

"Why isn't Nathan visiting their parents?" Jake asked as he packed Jenny's toys.

"He doesn't really get on with his dad. Apparently he's a bit of a slave driver, and Nathan got tired of it," Haley shrugged. "He only goes home when he knows his mom is on her own."

"Okay, so why does Lucas still visit?" Peyton asked.

"Because Nathan doesn't," Brooke guessed. She hadn't ever spoken to Lucas about his parents, but she just knew that was the reason why. A shiver ran down her spine as she pushed away the thoughts running through her mind as to why she knew that about him.

Haley glanced at Brooke but said nothing. A slight smile played across her lips.

"Come on, angel," Brooke picked up Jenny and carried her into the kitchen. "Let's find your mommy and daddy some tinned goodness so they can eat for the next few days in their brand new hovel."

"Brooke!" Peyton laughed.

"Just because we're accepting that you're moving, it doesn't mean we have to like it," Brooke called as she started slamming cupboard doors and encouraging Jenny to do the same.

"You guys are gonna be alright, right?" Jake asked Haley softly.

"When we actually see your new place and you've moved in and we can stop worrying that this is just a ruse to run away again …. Sure," Haley said brightly.

"We're not running away again, Hales," Jake moved across the room and put his arm around her. Leaning into him, Haley sighed.

"I know. I just can't shake the fear," Haley smiled wryly.

"I promise we're sticking around this time," Peyton came round to her other side and put her arm around her waist, leaning her head on Haley's shoulder.

"You better, otherwise I'm sending Brooke out to hunt you down," Haley half-joked.

"Isn't this cosy?" Brooke stepped into the den and glared at them. "Aren't you forgetting someone!"

"Sorry Brooke," Jake looked apologetic. "Jenny, come hug your Aunt Haley."

"Cute," Brooke glared at him as Jenny wobbled across the room to climb into Haley's lap again.

"Come on Brooke," Haley grinned.

"No," Brooke pouted.

"Brooke sandwich!" Peyton yelled as the three of them, with Jenny in Haley's arms, rushed towards Brooke and bundled her to the floor in a giggling heap.

"Promise me we can do this at your new place," Brooke giggled as she tried to heave Jake and Haley off of her.

"It's a tradition," Peyton laughed as she tried to push Jake off of her as well.

"I hate this tradition," Brooke's muffled voice yelled from underneath everyone.

"That's a real shame, Brooke," Jake grinned. "Because we all love it."

"I'm starting a new tradition, Jagielski!" Brooke yelled. "It's called 'I'm gonna kick your ass!'"

"I'd like to see you try," Jake chuckled as he grabbed her in a bear hug.

"You aren't sweet-talking your way out of this one, mister!" Brooke giggled. "Peyton, help me!"

"Brooke, you've been my best friend for all these years," Peyton began as she helped Haley and Jenny up. "But that's my future husband and possible future father to any kids we have."

"If you two ever have any ragamuffin kids, I'm gonna turn them into an army against you," Brooke giggled as Jake grabbed her legs and dangled her upside down.

"Always the lady, Brooke," Haley laughed as she helped Peyton with the last of their stuff.

After Jake had right-ended Brooke, the four of them looked at the three boxes that held all their possessions.

"Dude, that's just sad," Haley said with a laugh.

"The apartment is furnished," Peyton said slowly.

"We can afford to buy some stuff," Jake stared at the boxes.

"Maybe we should go shopping tomorrow," Haley glanced at Brooke, who nodded.

"Maybe we should all go get better-paying jobs," Brooke said with a giggle.

"Maybe you guys should just stay here," Haley joined in with Brooke's giggling.

"Alright, we're leaving with these boxes now," Jake announced. "Before I have to turn one of you upside down again.

"I'm carrying Jenny!" Peyton called with a smirk.

"No fair!" Haley whined.

"I was gonna call Jenny," Brooke muttered.

"Grab a box each ladies and follow me," Jake chuckled as he picked up a box.

"So, this is home," Haley said as she looked around the bare apartment.

"Nicely furnished," Brooke murmured as she took in the couch, the table and toaster in the kitchen.

"We're going shopping tomorrow," Peyton muttered.

"Yay!" Brooke tried to clap but couldn't as she still held the box of their stuff.

"Jake and I will decorate our room, Brooke and Lucas can do the main room and Nathan and Haley can do Jenny's room," Peyton decided.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Brooke squealed. "Hang on, you're giving us the money, right?"

"Yes Brooke," Jake put down his box and curved his arm around Peyton.

"Home sweet home," Peyton smiled up at him.

"Our home," Jake smiled back at her.

"Roots!" Brooke clapped.

"Ties!" Haley clapped with her and they jumped up and down, holding each others hands.

"What?" Peyton looked at them, confused.

"You're putting down roots!" Brooke yelled.

"Ties!" Haley echoed loudly.

"They're nuts," Jake shook his head.

"They're our nuts," Peyton laughed.

*

"Jenny does not want a stupid pink frilly blanket," Nathan said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but she does want a yellow duck that's five times bigger than her and would probably suffocate her?" Haley snapped back.

"This was a stupid idea," Nathan growled.

"You're telling me," Haley agreed, shooting him a glare.

"Let's just agree on a color scheme at least," Nathan suggested.

"Blue," Haley said firmly.

"Fine," Nathan said, mostly to prevent another argument. He personally thought Jenny would prefer a green room, but he was willing to concede the point. For now.

"She needs a bed, a closet, curtains, covers and something to go on the walls," Haley reeled off.

"Let's do the bed first," Nathan said as he started walking toward the beds in the department store.

"I guess we're doing the bed first," Haley muttered darkly as she followed him.

They'd already been in the department store for two hours, and what had started off as a fun afternoon had quickly turned into a horrible nightmare. They'd wandered around and disagreed on everything, which had slowly but surely grated on both of them.

Nathan was standing next to a small metal bed, with a silver finish and wheels on the bed legs. Haley rolled her eyes.

"What about this one?" Nathan asked defensively.

"I think Jenny would prefer something made of pine," Haley said, attempting to instil a placating tone to her voice. "It makes the room seem warmer and it's more baby friendly."

"Fine," Nathan said in a tone that made Haley aware that everything was far from fine.

"What about that one?" Haley pointed to a small pine bed with a heart carved into the headboard.

"It's … nice," Nathan tried not to choke on the word.

"Great," Haley said, although she was feeling anything but great.

"What about a closet?" Nathan asked grimly.

"There's a matching one next to the bed," Haley murmured.

"Fine," Nathan sounded resigned.

"Let's go pick out some curtains and blankets," Haley walked away.

"I guess we're going the curtains and blankets next," Nathan muttered as he followed her.

"What about these?" Haley was peering at a blue pattern with flowers on it.

"Ugly," Nathan said, refusing to give in again.

"You pick some then," Haley said as she narrowed her eyes.

"These are cute," Nathan picked up some material that was white with pale blue teddy bears on it.

"Lovely," Haley managed to say.

"There are curtains and covers in the pattern," Nathan noted.

"That just leaves something to go on the walls," Haley muttered.

"Great," Nathan said.

They walked side by side towards the pictures hanging on the left wall of the store. Both of them stopped by a picture of Eeyore.

Haley raised her eyebrows. Nathan tilted his head.

"This one," they said together.

Haley felt her lips lift into a hesitant smile. Nathan felt the tension in his shoulders disappear.

"No arguing?" Nathan asked.

"Doesn't appear like it," Haley shrugged.

"Shall we go spend Jake and Peyton's life savings?" Nathan held out his hand to her.

"Just a small bit of it," Haley smiled as she put her hand in his.

"I guess we shouldn't move in together any time soon," Nathan laughed as he brought her closer to him.

"Possibly not ever," Haley grinned as she leant into him.

"You want to be that couple that always has their own space?" Nathan chuckled.

"Space is healthy," Haley pointed out.

"We haven't spent much of our free time apart since we've been together," Nathan retorted.

"A new relationship," Haley sighed. "Soon, the rosy glow will disappear and we'll settle into a routine."

"You're so romantic," Nathan deadpanned.

"Realistic," Haley corrected.

"You don't mean that," Nathan laughed.

"Really?" Haley looked up at him, a smile playing on her lips.

"No," Nathan tipped her head up towards him. "You're an old-fashioned romantic. Which is why we've been dating for a month and you haven't stayed over at mine once."

"I'm just careful," Haley looked away.

"Hey," Nathan gently moved her head until she was looking at him again. "I wasn't criticising. Just letting you know that it's not a problem."

"Yet," Haley muttered.

"Ever," Nathan corrected her. "I can wait for as long as you need."

"Alright then," Haley challenged him. "I don't want to have sex before I get married."

Nathan stared at her.

"See?" Haley mumbled, embarrassed.

"Marria- really?" Nathan stuttered.

"Really," Haley forced herself to look up at him.

"You're serious?" Nathan persisted.

"Yes," Haley said firmly.

"Well," Nathan exhaled deeply. "That's something I wasn't expecting."

"Still want to date me?" Haley challenged him, a little wary of his answer.

"Haley," Nathan stared at her. "You don't want to have sex before you marry?"

"Answer the question, Nathan," Haley muttered.

"Haley, I don't know if I can," Nathan gazed at her, his eyes reflecting turmoil. "I don't know if I could stop myself from trying to convince you to forget your values. I want you, Haley. In every possible way. When I kiss you, I want more. I want to be as close to you as I can get. I care about you, but I don't know if I can put my own needs to one side for your values, not if I was really, well, you know."

Haley looked up at him. "How can you be so sweet when you're saying what you're saying?"

"A gift," Nathan attempted humour.

"Nathan," Haley reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. "You were honest. I don't believe for a second that you'd ever pressurise me into having sex when I wasn't ready. Not seriously, anyway."

"Haley, I can't promise you that," Nathan said earnestly.

"And that's why I trust you," Haley smiled.

"Huh?" Nathan asked, confused.

"Because you're honourable, Nathan Scott. Whether you know it or not," Haley grinned up at him. "Now, let's buy all this stuff and give Jenny a room."

Nathan watched her move away towards a sales assistant with troubled eyes and his heart heavy.

*

"This is gonna work best if you just pick everything," Lucas decided as he gazed around the department store.

"Oh no," Brooke shook her head. "You are going to help me with everything. And if you just agree with everything I pick, I'll make you pick stuff yourself."

"But I'm not into all this shopping stuff," Lucas groaned.

"And you think Nathan and Jake are?" Brooke giggled.

"Yeah, but they get stuff to make up for it," Lucas grumbled.

Brooke's smile froze slightly. "Lucas, I'm sorry …"

"You're sorry that they get benefits?" Lucas chuckled.

"Lucas," Brooke chided softly.

"Brooke," he mimicked her tone. "If I wanted that stuff, I wouldn't have suggested this little plan. Besides, if I wanted it, all I'd have to do …"

Brooke looked up at him to find he'd gotten close behind her. Her eyes widened as she saw the gleam in his eyes. "Oh no! Lucas!" Brooke tried to ward him off, but his arms encircled her body.

"Yes Brooke?" Lucas asked as he dipped his head to brush his lips across her collarbone, grinning as he felt her body shudder.

"He's not here," Brooke whispered.

"I know," Lucas said under his breath as his fingers stroked her hands and his lips caressed her nape.

"This is dangerous, Lucas," Brooke said softly, tilting her head so he could move his caress further up her neck.

"We know the rules, Brooke," Lucas said, even as his mind fogged and he couldn't remember a single reason why he shouldn't turn Brooke around and take the kiss he'd been slowly dying inside for, ever since he'd come up with this crazy scheme to keep Brooke safe. Hell, if he was being honest, the kiss he'd been dying for ever since their first, and only, kiss. A part of him was positive that it had been a fluke. He'd never been so shattered by a mere kiss before, but it had to have been just the shock of discovering that he could have been attracted to Brooke. Brooke, the girl he'd been so sure had been no good, the girl who reminded him ….

"Rules were meant to be broken," Brooke whispered as she turned in his arms. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that?"

"I guess rules could be renegotiated," Lucas said as he stared down at the girl with the pixie smile.

"I'm always willing to hear a different perspective," Brooke said as she slowly rose on tiptoe.

"Uh huh," Lucas murmured as he watched her get closer.

"Maybe we should get together," Brooke said with a slight smile as she tilted her head and leaned towards his ear. "And discuss it."

"That's a good idea," Lucas groaned slightly.

"I've got some ideas you might like," Brooke whispered, her breath tickling his ear and sending a shiver down his spine.

"Like decorating the den in red," Brooke said normally as she stood back on her feet and grinned up at him.

Lucas groaned louder. "That was really unfair."

"I told you to watch out," Brooke giggled as she tilted her head.

"You're good, Brooke Davis," Lucas admitted. But he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "But I'm much better."

"Nuh-uh!" Brooke laughed as she skipped away from him. "Come on, we've got a room to decorate!"

Lucas grinned as he watched her walk towards a pine table. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun. His only real relationship to date had been sexual, charged and full of passion, but not fun. Never fun.

Not that this was a real relationship, Lucas reminded himself as his eyes watched Brooke wander towards some vases and run her hand along one of them. But sometimes, occasionally, every so often …

"Lucas?" Brooke's voice interrupted his thoughts. Lucas let out a sigh as he cleared his head and started towards her.

"That's a nice vase," Lucas said as he looked towards the pale red object in her hands.

"I thought if we got them one, Jake would have no excuse not to bring Peyton flowers every week," Brooke grinned.

"Peyton doesn't really seem like a flowers kind of girl," Lucas shrugged.

"She's not. Yet. But she will be when she has a vase," Brooke decided.

"Okay. What else do you need to get?" Lucas looked around and almost groaned aloud as he took in all the furniture that surrounded them.

"Not much," Brooke shrugged. "Some curtains, some pictures, a little radio and a TV. Everything else they can buy when they have more money. This is just a necessity shop."

"A vase is a necessity?" Lucas teased her.

"No, it's a gift from me," Brooke laughed.

"Then I'll get Peyton some flowers to start her off," Lucas grinned. "Show Jake the way forward."

Brooke smiled up at him. "You really are a nice guy, Lucas Scott."

"And you are adorable," Lucas chuckled as he took the vase out of her hands. "Let's go get the rest of this stuff so we can go home."

The six of them looked around the apartment, tired but happy. It was half ten at night, but all the various things they'd bought for the apartment were in place, and it looked great.

"Guys, this is awesome," Peyton said as she looked at the room Brooke and Lucas had decorated.

"Even though there's just the couch to sit on," Jake teased.

"The floor is good enough at our place, it'll be good enough for you for a while," Brooke glared at him.

"It's great, Brooke," Jake grinned as he wrapped his arm around her.

"You're welcome," Brooke grumbled as she encircled his waist with her arms. "Even if you did move out and abandon us."

"And Jenny's room is gorgeous," Peyton said to Haley as she wrapped her arms around Haley's shoulders.

"I guess as she hasn't left it since we finished arranging it, she likes it," Haley grinned as she leaned into Peyton.

"Thanks for helping guys," Peyton said to Lucas and Nathan.

"Haley did it all," "Brooke did it all," came their replies.

Jake chuckled. "Peyton did it all too."

"But the manual labor was appreciated," Haley said as she crossed to Nathan's side.

"Speaking of, I'm wiped out," Brooke yawned.

"Walk us home?" Haley asked Nathan, who nodded.

"Walk me home to stop me playing gooseberry to them?" Brooke asked Lucas with a pleading smile.

"Sure," Lucas chuckled.

"Bye!" The four of them chorused as they left the apartment, leaving Jake and Peyton standing alone in the room.

Sneaking each other a little glance, they grabbed each other and jumped up and down, Peyton squealing and Jake chuckling.

"Our very own place!" Peyton laughed as she threw herself into his arms.

Jenny let out a cry from her room.

"Shh!" Jake whispered with a grin.

"Our very own place!" Peyton whispered.

"Ours," Jake agreed as he bent his head and kissed her passionately. "Let's go to bed."

Peyton giggled as he tugged her along to their room.

*

"Brooke Davis, what are these!" Maddie yelled to her employee.

Brooke poked her head around the corner and squinted to see what Maddie was yelling about. "Oh, they're my designs for my final assignment."

"Why haven't you shown me these before?" Maddie yelled crossly.

"Because I only finished them last night?" Brooke said timidly.

"They're amazing!" Maddie yelled, sounding annoyed.

"I'm … sorry?" Brooke said, confused.

"You won't leave me and sell your own designs!" Maddie yelled.

"Of course I won't," Brooke laughed. "I'm only one of thousands of people trying to make it in fashion design."

"Well, you have something they don't have," Maddie yelled.

"Okay, firstly, can you stop shouting?" Brooke laughed as she stepped towards her. "Secondly, what are you talking about?"

"I'll shout if I want to," Maddie said childishly. "These designs are really good."

"Thanks," Brooke blushed prettily.

"Thanks schmanks," Maddie waved her arms about. "I can get Pete to do some rough mock ups of them and see what they're like in material."

"Pete?" Brooke asked, a little taken aback.

"My supplier," Maddie said. "He uses independent designers all the time. You, Brooke Davis, are going to become one of them."

"WHAT?" Brooke screeched.

"Um, ow?" Maddie touched her ears and winced.

"Maddie, are you serious?" Brooke stepped forward and grabbed her boss by her arms.

"Of course I'm serious," Maddie frowned as she looked at Brooke's tight grip.

"This is … amazing! Unbelievable! Oh my God!" Brooke jumped up and down, forcing Maddie to jump up and down as well.

"I always planned to give your designs to Pete once you'd graduated," Maddie told her.

"Maddie, you're like … the most amazing person in the whole world!" Brooke laughed.

"Well, I know," Maddie said with false modesty.

"I never thought it'd be so easy!" Brooke cried. "It's unbelievable!"

"Good things happen to good people," Maddie winked at her. "Just call me your Fairy Godmother."

"I do!" Brooke hugged her. "I have to call Haley and Peyton!"

"You do that while I close," Maddie patted her arm.

Half an hour later, Brooke was sitting in a bar with Peyton and Haley, toasting to Maddie's news.

"I can't believe it!" Haley laughed.

"Me neither!" Brooke grabbed each of their hands and sighed. "I feel all giddy and nervous."

"It's your first step into the life you've always wanted," Peyton grinned. "And think how easy it was! You have to be the luckiest girl in the world!"

"I am," Brooke sighed. "I have the career I want, the two best friends in the world and …"

"And Lucas Scott?" Haley said slyly.

"What? No," Brooke laughed.

"Oh come on, Brooke," Peyton laughed. "You've got it so bad for him."

"I have not!" Brooke protested. "It's just an act."

"That's why you cuddle and you're always touching each other even when you're in one of our apartments," Haley deadpanned.

"It's just because we want it to look natural and not like I've paid Lucas to be my boyfriend," Brooke brushed them off.

"I can't believe you're lying to your two best friends, Brooke," Peyton pouted.

"I'm not!" Brooke laughed. "If I felt something for Lucas, I'd tell you. But I don't. So I can't."

"Okay," Haley let it drop, but not before grinning at Peyton. "Let's get another round, we're celebrating!"

Two hours later and they were standing in the restroom of the bar, Brooke groaning as she laid her head against the wall, Peyton holding her head as she sat on a chair and Haley splashing water on her face.

"We're too old for this," Peyton groaned.

"We're just a little out of shape," Brooke corrected her. "We haven't had alcohol in a long time."

"We shouldn't even be drinking it now," Haley groaned as she lifted her head. "Peyton's still nineteen!"

"Shhh!" Peyton looked around to check if the restroom was still empty.

"Maybe we should head home," Haley said.

"It's only eight!" Brooke protested.

"We're already drunk and we've all got work tomorrow," Peyton sighed. "When did we become grown-ups?"

"Don't you dare say such horrible things!" Haley cried.

"Come on," Brooke hooked one arm around Peyton and the other around Haley. "Let's go home and have an early night, like the old women we've become."

They dropped off Peyton before staggering towards their apartment.

"Don't tell the guys we walked home by ourselves," Haley told Brooke as they weaved down the sidewalk.

"Do I look like I have a death wish?" Brooke asked.

"Nathan would kill me," Haley sighed. "I told him."

"Told him what?" Brooke asked as she staggered a little.

"That I didn't want to have sex before I got married," Haley moaned.

"What did he say?" Brooke stopped dead and stared at her.

"That he wasn't sure he could stop himself from trying to convince me otherwise if he was … uh … lost in the moment," Haley blushed.

"What did you say?" Brooke asked.

"That I trusted him," Haley shrugged. "And I do. I think … well, I know I haven't known him long but …"

"Sometimes you just know," Brooke murmured.

"Yeah," Haley smiled as she took Brooke's arm and they started walking again.

"Haley, I have a confession to make," Brooke mumbled.

"What?" Haley asked as they crossed the road.

"I think I have a crush on Lucas," Brooke cried.

"Of course you do," Haley patted her arm.

"It's terrible!" Brooke wailed.

"No it's not. You're pretty much perfect for each other, which is so weird because you don't seem to be perfect together, you just are. Like me and Nathan," Haley smiled.

"We aren't perfect for each other!" Brooke moaned. "He likes books and sports. I like cheesy dramas on TV and clothes. He's book smart. I'm … not."

"Superficial stuff," Haley waved it away.

"Every time we're together, I forget it's just an act," Brooke felt tears in her eyes. "I want him, Haley, and I can't have him."

"Brooke, don't cry," Haley turned to wrap her arms around her. "I'm pretty sure Lucas feels the same way."

"No he doesn't," Brooke gulped. "I'd be able to tell. He doesn't have that look in his eye that guys have when they want you. He doesn't touch me in the way guys do when they want you. Only when we're in public and he thinks James could be around."

Haley hesitated. Lucas might not do those things, but Haley was pretty sure it was just because Lucas was fighting it. She'd seen him glancing at Brooke when she wasn't looking, and it was the same look she'd seen in Nathan when he looked at her.

"Let me get my camera so I can record this beautiful moment."

Brooke turned to find James behind her. Typical.

"What do you want, James? Haven't you left town yet?" Brooke sighed.

"Why would I leave a town that has my favorite girl in it?" James asked.

"I'm not your girl," Brooke told him.

"You'll always be my girl," James said as he stepped closer to her, causing her to move so she stood between him and Haley.

"You don't deserve any girl," Haley glared at him.

James barely spared her a glance before looking at Brooke again. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He's at home, waiting for me," Brooke lied.

"Sure he is," James laughed.

"Come on Hales, we're going," Brooke took her hand and started to move away, her heart racing.

"Oh no, little Brooke," James' hand shot out and grabbed her arm painfully, causing her to cry out and spin around.

Brooke frowned as she noticed his eyes. "Are you high!" she asked, incredulous.

"Maybe," James laughed.

"When did you start using drugs?" Brooke asked, shocked.

"Is that concern?" James said softly. "Sweet, Brooke, but I don't need it."

"Brooke," Haley tugged on her arm.

"Why don't you go home, Haley? I'll just talk to James here and then I'll be home," Brooke said without taking her eyes off of James. His grip on her arm had tightened to the point that Brooke was sure he was bruising her skin. James had become frightening enough before, but being high on drugs created an unknown factor. He'd never physically hurt her before, but here he was. Haley needed to get help, in case James became more dangerous.

"Brooke, I'm not leaving you here," Haley said, her voice trembling.

"Go on home, Haley," James told her with a grin. "Brooke and I want to catch up, don't we babe?"

"Sure," Brooke agreed calmly. "Haley, go home and phone Peyton, like she asked, so she knows we're home safe."

Haley felt Brooke squeeze her hand tight. Understanding but still terrified to leave her alone, Haley squeezed back before stepping away slowly. She kept her eyes on them until she turned the corner, before running as fast as she could back home.

"Let me go, James," Brooke said calmly.

"Not a chance," James laughed. "This might be the only time I get you alone."

Brooke grimaced as he pulled her away, leaving her no choice but to follow as there was no-one around to help her and she'd never be able to match his strength. Maybe she would be able to talk her way out of wherever he took her.

"I know she's gone to phone one of your heroes," James shook his head. "I want some alone time with you."

"Why?" Brooke asked. "Why are you following me, James?"

"Because you're weak," James replied. "Because I love you. Because you still want me."

"Are you delusional?" Brooke asked in shock. "You don't love me! And I don't want you!"

"Yes you do," James laughed as they walked down a dark alley. "You're trembling with desire."

Brooke shut her eyes and prayed. He was too high or too disturbed to realise that her trembling was from fear.

"When you left town, I missed you," James confessed as his fingers bit harder into her skin.

"You missed terrorising me and making my life hell," Brooke laughed harshly.

"Then I find you here with a some guy," James shook his head. "You aren't his."

"James, this is crazy," Brooke dug her heels in and refused to move, determined not to move too far from where Haley had left her.

"See, this is the problem," James mused. "Since you moved out here, you seem to think that you're worth something, but you're not."

"James, let me go," Brooke said, tugging her arm away.

"You've got it into your head that you're better than me, but you're not," James insisted, keeping hold of her arm.

"James, you're scaring me," Brooke stared at him.

"Good," James laughed, right before he backhanded her and sent her flying onto the ground.

Brooke lay there, dazed and shocked, but he'd pulled her up sharply before she could think.

"You're just a cheap slut, Brooke," James said before punching her face and causing her to cry out in pain, as sharp, stinging, hot nerves electrified her skin. "And this is what you get for pretending to be something you're not."

Brooke tried to fight back, but he was much stronger than she was. He pushed her against the wall, causing her legs to buckle beneath her and she fell to the floor, screaming in pain. She could hear someone shouting, but it was faint. Too faint to help her.

He kicked her hard in the ribs, in the stomach, anywhere he could land a blow as she curled in a foetal position and sobbed as the pain intensified. Another voice shouted but they were too far away too.

She felt him grab her and pull her up by her hair before punching her again in the face. She sobbed as she tried to get away, but he held her tight, an odd look in his eyes.

*

Suddenly his grip on her slackened and she fell to the floor. Her left eye was painful to open, but shecould see well enoughto look up in time to see Lucas land a vicious blow on James. He punched him again twice before James fell to the floor. Lucas knelt over him and hit him again before Jake pulled him off. Brooke's sob had them both turning around and reaching for her.

Jake gently lifted her head and slid under her so she was resting in his lap. Lucas knelt beside her and held her hand gently.

"Brooke," Lucas said worriedly. "Are you okay?"

She tried to nod but it was too painful.

"We need to get you to the hospital," Jake said softly. "You're pretty banged up, honey."

"No," Brooke protested huskily. "Home."

"Brooke, you'll probably need stitches," Lucas protested.

"Home," Brooke whispered as a tear escaped her swollen eye.

"Okay, we'll take you home," Jake's face reflected his worry and his anger.

He let her head down and stood up, ready to pick her up.

"Let me," Lucas pleaded as he looked down at Brooke, bruised and battered.

"Okay," Jake nodded. "I'll wait for the cops."

"Okay," Lucas exhaled before bending down. "Brooke, baby, I'm going to carry you home. It might hurt when I pick you up."

Brooke lifted her arms painfully, trying to smile. "I'll be brave."

Lucas wanted to turn around and hit James once more as her smile hit him directly in the chest. "You're the bravest girl in the world," he told her before gathering her carefully into his arms. "Let's go home, pretty girl."

"I'm not so pretty now," Brooke attempted to joke.

"You'll always be the prettiest girl in the world," Lucas smiled down at her as he walked slowly to the end of the alley. He resisted the urge to hold her tighter, aware of her injuries. When Haley had called him, distraught and incoherent, it'd taken a minute to decipher what she was trying to say. When he'd finally worked it out, he'd dropped the phone and run out of the apartment, taking Nathan with him. They'd found Jake standing with Haley, trying to figure out where James could have taken her. They'd separated and Lucas had never felt so afraid in his life. Jake had heard someone crying out. He'd yelled to Lucas who'd been nearest and they'd run towards the noise, both of them yelling. When he'd seen James reach back and punch her, something inside of him snapped. He wanted to kill him. Literally kill him. He'd run as fast as he could and punched him as hard as he could. He'd never wanted to do anyone harm as much as he'd wanted to hurt James, hurt him a million times more than he'd hurt his Brooke.

If Jake hadn't pulled him back …

And then he'd seen her. Brooke, lying bruised and battered, her left eye swelling shut, a red mark across her cheek, her top ripped … and he'd felt his heart break. He'd physically felt his heart break into two pieces. He'd wanted to punch James again. And again.

But his beautiful Brooke was broken, not defeated.

"Baby, are you okay?" he asked, concerned. "Am I hurting you?"

"No," Brooke murmured. "You're my hero."

"Not much of a hero," Lucas said bitterly. "I would have got to you sooner if I could have."

"I knew you'd come," Brooke whispered. "You, or Jake, or Nathan. You're all my heroes."

"We sure are," Lucas told her. "We won't let anyone touch you again."

And that was a promise he'd keep, Lucas thought determinedly.

"My face hurts," Brooke said plaintively.

"We're almost home," Lucas told her as his hold tightened imperceptibly. "Haley will look after you."

"Okay," Brooke sighed, turning her burning face against his chest.

He carried her up the steps and banged against the door with his bruised knuckles. A pale and frightened Haley opened the door, gasping as she saw Brooke and buckling at what James had done. Nathan was there to steady her, and Lucas saw his face tighten as he looked at Brooke. They stepped back and allowed Lucas to carry her upstairs. He took her straight into her bedroom and laid her on her bed gently.

"You're home," he told her gently as he stroked her hair.

"Haley?" Brooke asked tearfully.

"I'm here, Brooke," Haley said, her voice trembling as she fought tears.

"You're safe?" Brooke asked groggily.

The tears cascaded down Haley's cheeks. "I'm safe, thanks to you," she sobbed. "Brooke, I'm so sorry I left you with him! I never should have left you!"

"You saved me, Haley," Brooke mumbled. "You brought Lucas and Jake."

Nathan handed Haley a cloth and she began to gently tend to Brooke's face, her hand trembling as Brooke winced in pain. Lucas stood up and headed for the door.

"Lucas?" Brooke said softly.

He turned to look at her.

"Don't leave me," she whispered.

"Never," he told her. "I'm just going to soak my knuckles."

"I'm sorry your knuckles hurt," Brooke sighed. "But I'm glad they do."

Lucas smiled grimly. "Me too, babe."

Nathan followed him to the kitchen where Lucas ran water over his burning hands.

"I hope you laid him out," Nathan said softly.

"Jake had to pull me off him," Lucas shook his head. "I was so blind with rage that I don't think I would have stopped if it wasn't for him."

"I know I wouldn't if it'd been Haley," Nathan said grimly.

"I saw him punch her, Nate," Lucas hung his head, reliving that moment again and again.

"And you stopped him punching her again," Nathan patted his brother's shoulder.

"He shouldn't have been able to hit her in the first place," Lucas said furiously. "And she's so brave, Nate. So brave."

"You got to her in time," Nathan tried to soothe his brother's pain. "It's a good thing I didn't catch him. I don't think you and Jake could have pulled me away."

"If it hadn't been for Brooke crying, I don't think I would have stopped," Lucas admitted. "She looked so damn fragile."

"Brooke!" Peyton burst through the door with Jenny on her hip, looking frantic.

"She's safe, Peyton," Nathan told her. "She's in her room with Haley."

"What did he do?" Peyton asked as she saw Lucas' knuckles.

"He beat her up pretty bad," Nathan confessed. "Lucas and Jake pulled him off her and gave him some of his own medicine."

"Thank you," Peyton whispered to Lucas before running into Brooke's room.

"Come on, Haley can rub some cream on those bruises," Nathan tugged Lucas into Brooke's room.

Peyton had left Jenny with a toy in the corner whilst she cried as she rubbed cream gently onto Brooke's bruises. Haley was watching them, tears still streaming down her face.

"Haley, she'll be okay," Nathan told her.

"I know," Haley sobbed. "How could he hit her? She's so small and vulnerable …"

"He was high," Brooke mumbled.

Haley caught sight of Lucas' knuckles and picked up some lotion. She began to idly rub it on his hands gently.

"Where's Jake?" Peyton asked.

"Making sure James gets arrested," Lucas muttered.

"They'll be along to get your statement soon," Haley told Brooke. "Is that okay?"

"I'll be okay," Brooke sighed. She reached out her hand. "Lucas?"

"I'm here, babe," Lucas said softly as he took her hand and sat on her bed.

Nathan wrapped his arms around Haley and held her tight, breathing in her scent and thanking god that she was alright. He was mad enough that Brooke was hurt. It'd be even worse if it'd been Haley.

Peyton stepped back from the bed and watched Lucas stroke Brooke's hair and hold her hand. The sight brought fresh tears to her eyes. She bent to gather Jenny in her arms and the room stood silent.

A knock at the door broke the silence. Peyton left to answer it and Haley and Nathan moved out of the room, since they figured it'd be the police.

Jake led them into Brooke's room, where they questioned Lucas and Brooke at length before noting all of Brooke's injuries. They then questioned Haley for a few minutes before leaving again.

"Jake?" Peyton moved towards him and settled into his embrace.

"Son of a bitch," Jake muttered. "He tried to tell the police that Lucas and I had just jumped him for no reason."

"Doesn't surprise me," Nathan sighed.

"Makes me glad I punched him again after Lucas left," Jake smiled grimly.

Peyton let out a worried laugh. "I'm glad too."

"How's Brooke?" he asked.

"Pretty banged up," Haley said. "But she's trying to make jokes."

"We should have gotten there sooner," Jake muttered.

"That's what Lucas said. But at least you got to her, man," Nathan said softly.

"It's just … watching him hit her and not being able to stop it …" Jake's body trembled. "I wanted to kill him. I'm glad Lucas got to him first, because I wouldn't have been able to hold back."

"It's a good thing you were there to pull him off though," Nathan said sourly.

"Only because I wanted a shot at him," Jake said, making the others laugh.

"Do you mind if we stay over?" Peyton asked Haley. "I don't want to leave her."

"Of course you can," Haley nodded. "Just pull out the bed, you know what to do."

"I'm not leaving either," Nathan told her.

Haley nodded, grateful. She led him to her room, before checking on Brooke. The two of them were in the same position as when they'd left them.

"If you need us, Jake and Peyton are staying over and Nathan's in my room with me," Haley told Lucas, who nodded, never taking his eyes off Brooke.

"Goodnight, Tigger," Haley whispered.

"Night, Pooh Bear," Brooke smiled.

Haley shut the door and returned to her room.

"I just want to hold you," Nathan told her as she walked into his arms. "I don't know what I'd have done if that had been you."

Haley's tears returned. Nathan held her before gently turning her to put on her pyjamas. He deliberately looked the other way until she was in bed, and he quickly shed his clothes and slid into bed, wearing only his boxers.

"Hold me," Haley whispered.

"Always," Nathan said softly as they snuggled together.

"Are you going home?" Brooke asked.

"Not tonight," Lucas said firmly. "I'll sleep on the floor in here."

"No," Brooke protested.

"I'll sleep on the floor in Haley's room then," Lucas soothed her.

"Would you hold me?" Brooke said softly.

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked her, worried that she'd be afraid of him.

"Please, Lucas," Brooke pleaded.

"Okay," Lucas kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, gently slipping his arm under her head and moving her slowly towards him. She shifted so that she was in his arms and lying half across his chest.

"Stay with me," Brooke mumbled as she closed her eyes to the pain.

"Always," Lucas repeated, tightening his hold on her.

"You make me feel safe," Brooke whispered.

"You are safe," Lucas replied as he gently rubbed her back. "Get some sleep, baby. I'll be here to protect you."

"Goodnight, Lucas," Brooke murmured.

"Goodnight, Pretty Girl," Lucas kissed the top of her head and gathered her closer.

*

The week passed in a blur for Brooke. Her bruises were still painful, and she winced every time she caught sight of herself. She could now see out of her left eye, but the skin was still slightly swollen and had turned a nasty shade of yellow. The bruise on her cheek had turned purple and her stomach was too sore for her to walk properly yet. Haley had worked ahalf-day on Monday so she could be with Brooke in the morning. Nathan, Jake, Peyton and Mandyhad each worked a half day so they were with her the other mornings. And Lucas? He'd worked half days all week, spending every afternoon with her so that she wouldn't be alone. He spent every night with her too, laying fully clothed and just holding her through the night.

Haley and Peyton had become worried about Brooke's dependence on Lucas. Haley had confessed to Peyton what Brooke had said about Lucas before James interrupted them, and they agreed that they had to separate the two of them, before any serious damage was done to Brooke's emotional state.

"Brooke?" Haley poked her head around the bedroom door to find Brooke awake and staring at the ceiling.

"Hmm?" Brooke answered.

"Can we talk?" Haley asked, pushing the door open to reveal Peyton standing beside her.

"Uh huh," Brooke murmured.

Haley sat on Brooke's bed next to her. Peyton sat behind Haley.

"Brooke, we're worried," Peyton said quietly.

"I'm okay," Brooke said by rote.

"It's about Lucas and how much time he's spending here," Haley said hesitantly. "We're worried that you might be … depending on him a little."

Brooke finally looked at them.

"Depending on him?" Brooke repeated, frowning.

"He's barely left your side since … that night," Peyton said.

"He said he wouldn't leave me," Brooke murmured.

"Brooke, he's not … I mean, it was only …" Haley struggled to find the words.

"He's not my real boyfriend?" Brooke raised her eyebrows and looked at her two best friends. "I'm aware of that, Haley."

"We just don't want you to forget that you're …" Peyton broke off and looked at Haley, biting her lip.

"Friends," Haley finished.

"We're not friends," Brooke said, surprisingly.

"Of course you are," Peyton frowned.

"Lucas is the kind of guy who can't help but save people," Brooke murmured. "He feels responsible for me, because he was trying to help me with James. Because he couldn't stop this happening to me," Brooke indicated her face, "he feels bad. That's why he's here all the time. Because he can't help but play the hero. Not because he likes me or wants to be my friend."

Peyton and Haley stared at her. Then at each other. Then Brooke again.

"What are you talking about, Brooke?" Peyton asked, confusion coloring her tone. "Of course that's not why Lucas spends time with you."

"Yes it is," Brooke insisted softly. "Lucas didn't want to know me before this stuff with James happened."

"That's not true," Haley argued.

"When was the first time you saw Lucas and I get along?" Brooke asked her.

"That night at the …" Haley trailed off.

"At the club?" Brooke filled in for her. "When we saw Bryan and James?"

"But that wasn't why he was nice to you …" Haley bit her lip.

"Of course it was. Lucas heard what James said and decided that I needed protecting," Brooke shrugged.

"Brooke, he liked you before that," Peyton insisted.

Brooke just reached out and patted Peyton's hand, smiling sympathetically at her.

"Brooke, he was frantic when he heard James had you," Haley said softly.

"Because he couldn't save me," Brooke sighed. "I appreciate your concern, guys, I really do. But I'm okay."

"But you told me that you had a crush on him," Haley said.

"It'll pass," Brooke shrugged, and then winced as her body protested against movement. "If Lucas is so intent on playing the hero, then I'm going to let him for as long as he wants to. He makes me feel safe."

Haley and Peyton looked at each other. They couldn't argue with Brooke's need to feel safe. They didn't agree with her about Lucas' feelings, but Brooke seemed convinced of Lucas' indifference towards her except as a knight in shining armour.

"Is he coming over?" Peyton asked.

"He said he'd come over in a few hours, once he'd done his laundry and checked his mail and stuff," Brooke smiled.

"You wanna let off some steam?" Jake asked as Lucas opened the door. He held up a basketball.

"Let me get Nathan," Lucas grinned.

"Nate! Court!" Lucas yelled as he grabbed his keys.

"Coming!" Nathan yelled back and the three of them were soon on the court playing an increasingly competitive game of HORSE.

"How's Brooke?" Nathan asked Jake.

"I think Lucas probably knows more than I do," Jake said as he sank a shot.

"She's healing. Physically," Lucas added.

"Emotionally?" Jake prompted. Truth be told, even if Peyton hadn't confessed that they were worried about Brooke and Lucas spending so much time together, he'd still be worried himself. Brooke and Lucas were only meant to be pretending to date. The way it seemed to him, there was nothing fake about Lucas' concern for Brooke. He'd seen the look in his eyes when James had hit Brooke. It was the same look he'd have if something ever happened to Peyton or Jenny.

"She's scarred," Lucas admitted.

"Did the restraining order come through?" Nathan asked as he tossed the ball through the net.

"Yesterday," Jake said. "Which is a good thing, since the son of a bitch only got a fine and community service."

"He won't try to come near her again, will he?" Nathan asked with a frown.

"I don't think he'll be back," Jake said, looking at Lucas' grim look. "He's aware that there are at least three guys who would quite happily put him back in the hospital."

Lucas sank a shot. "Once her face heals and she'll go out in public, I don't think it'll take long for the old Brooke to return."

"Does that mean you'll stop spending every spare minute with her?" Nathan asked pointedly.

"I told her I wouldn't leave her," Lucas muttered in defence.

"I don't think she meant for you to never leave her," Jake said.

"She needs to feel safe. For some reason, even though I couldn't stop him, I make her feel safe," Lucas said with a frown.

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Nathan asked.

"I'm sure. She sees me as some kind of protector, nothing more," Lucas muttered a little bitterly.

"I'm sure she sees you as more than just a protector," Nathan grinned.

"When was the first time you saw us get along?" Lucas asked as he stole the ball from Jake.

"The night at the club. When those sons of bitches …" Nathan trailed off, frowning.

"Exactly. The night I hit James," Lucas shrugged. "She needed someone to look out for her that night. She needed someone to look out for her ever since then. I'm happy to be that guy for her."

"She doesn't just look at you as a barrier to James," Jake frowned.

"Yes she does," Lucas insisted. "And that's okay. If she doesn't want another friend, who'd blame her? I treated her horribly when we first met. In truth, I was no better than James. I don't mean what he did to her last week," Lucas waved off their protests. "I mean the way he treated her before he came here. I didn't see her as anything more than a party girl. And the fact that she doesn't see me as anything more than a barrier to him is what I deserve for that."

"Lucas, you're more to Brooke than some kind of hero," Nathan argued. "And she's more to you than just a girl who needs rescuing."

"I thought we were here to blow off steam, not quiz me on Brooke?" Lucas said, annoyed.

"True," Jake said as he dribbled the ball, feeling a little sorry for Lucas. "Let's quiz Nathan on Haley instead."

"Hey!" Nathan protested.

"How are things?" Lucas asked as he tried to block Jake's shot.

"Well, the last week things have kind of been on hold with Brooke's problems," Nathan shrugged. "But the week before, when we were doing your flat? Haley told me something that might be a problem."

"What's that?" Jake frowned.

"She doesn't want to have …" Nathan stopped. "She wants to be …. She wants to get married as a virgin."

Jake and Lucas paused in their little battle for the ball to turn and look at him.

"Oh," was all Lucas managed.

"Huh," was Jake's input.

"Yeah," Nathan agreed.

"What did you say?" Lucas asked.

"That I wasn't sure I could stop myself from pressurising her, if I was … lost in the moment," Nathan admitted.

"That was honest," Jake frowned.

"And we haven't really talked about it since," Nathan exhaled.

"Do you think it'll become a problem?" Lucas asked.

"I hope not," Nathan said. "But I don't know."

"You should talk to her," Jake advised. "And you should talk to Brooke."

Nathan and Lucas frowned at him.

"Um, you out of steam yet?" Jake asked hopefully. "No?" Jake grinned as the two of them closed in on him and he took a wild shot, making the basket.

"We did tell them we wouldn't be long," Nathan sighed as he watched Jake retrieve the ball.

"If you talk to Haley, I'll talk to Brooke," Lucas muttered.

"Fine," Nathan glared at him.

"Fine," Lucas glared back at him.

"Fine," Jake grinned before chuckling at their expressions.

*

"Let's go for a walk," Nathan took Haley's arm and dragged her out of the apartment.

"Hello to you too," Haley laughed. "Can I get my jacket?"

"Wear mine," Nathan muttered as he shrugged out of it and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Haley said, bemused.

"Let's go," Nathan tapped his foot impatiently as he watched her struggle into his jacket.

"Hang on," Haley giggled. She turned to Lucas. "She's been a bit down today. Peyton just left, so it's just the two of you."

"Why did that sound like a warning?" Lucas muttered.

"I don't know, Lucas, why did it?" Haley asked pointedly.

"Come on!" Nathan took her arm and gently but firmly pulled her away. "We'll be gone for a while."

"Have fun!" Lucas said as he watched them walk away, somewhat reluctant to go inside.

"Why did you drag me out of the house?" Haley asked as she slipped her hand into Nathan's.

"Because I want to spend some alone time with my girlfriend," Nathan muttered. "We haven't had any time alone since … last week."

"I know," Haley sighed. "So, what do you want to do?"

"We can go back to mine and …" Nathan paused and swallowed. Hard. "… watch a Hugh Grant film."

Haley squealed. "Have I ever told you that you're the best boyfriend ever?"

"Not today," Nathan smiled slightly at her enthusiasm.

"Well you are," Haley said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I guess that makes you the best girlfriend ever," Nathan teased.

"You bet I am!" Haley giggled.

"So what was that little thing with Lucas?" Nathan asked as they neared his apartment.

"Brooke's fragile," Haley shrugged, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I just don't want her and Lucas to make any mistakes whilst she's vulnerable."

"Lucas would never take advantage of her," Nathan said with a little annoyance in his tone.

"Of course he wouldn't," Haley assured him. "Not intentionally, anyway."

"Spill," Nathan sighed as he unlocked the door.

"You told me that he'd never fall for someone like Brooke," Haley reminded him. "Yet Brooke might mistake his friendship for … something else."

"That might not be a bad thing," Nathan muttered under his breath.

"Hmm?" Haley asked as she heard him say something.

"Maybe Brooke should be careful because Lucas is pretty fragile himself," Nathan pointed out.

"What?" Haley asked in surprise. "Lucas wasn't just beaten up by some insane ex."

"Lucas feels responsible for Brooke," Nathan admitted.

"Let's leave them to sort out their own twisted relationship," Haley murmured as she walked over to him and rested her head on his chest and lifted her arms around his neck.

"And talk about our own twisted relationship?" Nathan said, only half-teasing.

He felt Haley sigh against his chest.

"You wanna talk about sex," Haley said bluntly.

"I guess, since you've brought it up," Nathan shrugged with a grin.

"Ha!" Haley scoffed. She lifted her head and looked up at him. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Trust," Nathan said softly.

"Huh?" Haley asked confused. That was the last thing she expected him to say.

"I want you to know that you can trust me. No matter what I say or what I do, I'll never let you regret trusting me," Nathan said seriously.

"I do trust you, Nathan," Haley told him as she lifted her hand to cup his cheek. "More than anyone."

"Are you sure?" Nathan persisted.

"I've never been surer of anything in my life," Haley whispered with heartfelt emotion.

"In that case, I have something to tell you. Something I've been meaning to tell you for a while, that I've been putting off because I thought it was too soon and I'd scare you away," Nathan grimaced slightly.

"Go on," Haley whispered, her heart in her eyes.

"I love you, Haley James," Nathan whispered as he stared into her shimmering eyes.

Haley closed her eyes and grinned. "I love you too, Nathan Scott," she echoed.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I guess we just became serious, huh?"

"We've always been serious," Haley laughed. "I knew it from the moment you kissed me at New Year. I tried to ignore it, but it was there all the same."

"Me too," Nathan sighed. "You're the girl for me, Haley, and you always will be."

"I feel the same way," Haley sighed as she looked up at him.

"We're going to end up together some day," Nathan told her conversationally. "The white picket fence, the kids playing in the garden, the family car in the driveway …"

"I know," Haley smiled up at him. "Somehow, I just we will."

"You don't have kids names picked out already or anything do you?" Nathan asked suspiciously.

"No!" Haley exclaimed as she blushed bright red.

"Haley …" Nathan drawled.

"I thought maybe Bethany? Or Michael," Haley blushed.

"You realise you're adorable, right?" Nathan chuckled.

"I try," Haley grinned.

"And where are we living when we have these kids?" Nathan asked.

"I like New York," Haley shrugged. "But you know, you might have to raise them whilst I'm touring America."

"Ah," Nathan chuckled. "It's gonna be like that, is it?"

"Yes it is," Haley grinned.

"And do I get to meet your parents before we settle into marital bliss or are we going down to the registry office tomorrow?" Nathan wondered.

"Shut up!" Haley smacked him lightly on the chest. "My parents visit a couple of times a year and you'll be the first person they'll want to meet."

"Can't wait," Nathan forced a smile.

"And your parents?" Haley prompted.

"Will probably make their bi-annual appearance for Lucas' birthday next month," Nathan shrugged.

"You don't sound too happy about that," Haley suggested.

"You'll understand when you meet them," Nathan sighed.

"Can't wait," Haley echoed his sentiments.

"Come on, let's watch Hugh Grant trying to get it on with Julia Roberts," Nathan grimaced.

"Popcorn?" Haley pouted.

"I'll make it," Nathan laughed as he kissed the tip of her nose.

Haley grinned as she popped the DVD in.

Nathan came back into the room as the credits started to roll and settled himself next to Haley.

"You realise we have to watch Die Hard or something after this," Nathan told her.

"Can I sleep through it?" Haley asked as she took a handful of popcorn.

"Sure," Nathan laughed.

"You know what I was thinking though?" Haley asked as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"Maybe I could stay the night," Haley said softly. "Like you stayed at mine that night."

"If you're sure," Nathan kissed her head.

"I'm sure," Haley grinned as she settled more comfortably against him and watched Hugh spill his drink over Julia.

*

"Haley?" Brooke's voice was faint yet the worry was clearly heard.

"She's gone out with Nathan," Lucas called as he made his way up the stairs. "I'm afraid you've just got me for company."

"Lucas," Brooke's voice was stronger and relieved.

"Hey, pretty girl," Lucas said with a smile as he stood in her doorway.

"Hey," Brooke answered with a grin.

"Feeling any better?" Lucas asked as he took a step into her room.

"Kinda," Brooke shrugged.

"What about if I offered you ice cream and the Wedding Crashers on DVD?" Lucas asked with a sly smile.

"Then I'd feel loads better," Brooke clapped and beamed.

"Only if you get out of bed and shower," Lucas held out his hand. "I'm too much of a gentleman to say anything about a lady, but Brooke, you stink."

Brooke's face fell. "Do I?" she whispered, her lips trembling.

"Brooke, I'm kidding!" Lucas felt awful.

"Good," Brooke grinned, her sadness wiped away.

"Hey! That was mean!" Lucas exclaimed with a chuckle.

"So was telling me that I stink, when I showered yesterday!" Brooke retorted haughtily. "But I will shower, and I'll wash my sheets, so I can get into them all fresh tonight."

"Come on, you shower and I'll strip the bed," Lucas offered.

"Deal," Brooke grinned as she took his hand and climbed out of bed.

Ten minutes later and Lucas was just putting the laundry on as Brooke emerged from her room, dressed in her blue Tigger pyjamas that Haley had brought her last year for her birthday, wrapped in her big cotton white robe and her wet hair tied back. Fresh faced and smiling, Lucas felt himself start to smile.

"You look better," Lucas noted.

"I feel better," Brooke laughed.

"Let me look at your eye," Lucas said as he stepped closer to her. Lifting her chin gently with his finger, he examined her eye. The bruising had mostly faded, and with makeup, no-one would be able to see anything. "Practically back to normal."

"You're not going to make me go outside, are you?" Brooke groaned.

"Not in your Tigger pyjamas, no," Lucas chuckled. "You'd give the whole male population a heart attack."

Brooke blushed slightly and turned away from him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lucas caught her arm and turned her to look at him.

"Lucas, what are we doing here?" Brooke gestured between them.

"Ah, the dreaded question," Lucas nodded. "One of us had to bring it up sooner or later. You beat me to it."

Brooke stared at him, a curious light in her eyes.

"Sit down," Lucas indicated next to him as he sat down on the couch.

"It's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done for me," Brooke said quickly as she perched on the couch. "I just don't understand why you've done it."

"Because we couldn't stand each other a month ago?" Lucas smiled gently.

"Impossible to believe now, huh?" Brooke laughed nervously.

"Brooke, I have an apology to make," Lucas said as he took her hands in his. "For what I thought about you when we first met. I was completely wrong, and I feel stupid whenever I think about it."

"Lucas," Brooke began. "We've already put this behind us."

"I know, but I want you to know that I'm still sorry, and I always will be," Lucas shook his head. "I was an idiot and I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"Of course you do," Brooke laughed lightly. "I forgave you ages ago."

"Then understanding why I've done everything I've done for you should be easy to figure out," Lucas said gently.

"It is," Brooke said, a little disappointed. He felt guilty and responsible, just like she'd thought.

Lucas heard the disappointment in her voice and mistook it for dislike. He frowned. He could have sworn there was something between them; something alive and true when they'd been 'fake' dating. She wasn't that great of an actress, was she?

"Shall we watch the movie?" Brooke asked brightly.

"Sure," Lucas said slowly.

He watched her stand up and put the DVD in before returning to his side. They watched the trailers with increasing discomfort, before Brooke broke the silence.

"This is all wrong," she sighed.

Thank God, Lucas thought to himself. He couldn't have gone through the film sitting next to her without clearing the air properly.

Brooke bounced up and disappeared into her room, reappearing with her covers. She settled next to him and covered herself in them.

"Much better," Brooke grinned.

Lucas groaned inwardly.

The movie passed slowly in front of his eyes. He barely concentrated on it, mustering a smile whenever Brooke laughed. They were sitting side by side, but not touching. It felt all wrong to Lucas.

When the credits finally appeared, Brooke turned to him with a smile. "Thanks, Lucas. It's just what I needed."

"Good," Lucas tried to return her smile, but failed miserably. "Look Brooke, will you be alright here on your own for a bit? I've got to get home and do some stuff, but I'm sure Haley will be back soon."

"Um, sure," Brooke said uncertainly. He was leaving her?

"Keep the movie, I'll pick it up some other time," Lucas said in a distracted tone.

"Okay," Brooke frowned, confused.

"You want me to call Peyton or Haley?" Lucas asked as he stood up.

"No, I'll be okay, Lucas," Brooke assured him.

"Okay, good," Lucas murmured. He patted her head as he passed her. "I'll see you later, Brooke."

And then he was gone, leaving Brooke staring after him with a sad heart.

He circled the block a few times, muttering to himself. He eventually came to a decision and headed back to the apartment, determined to find out one way or another.

Knocking, he waited patiently until Brooke opened the door slightly.

"Lucas?" Brooke asked in surprise. "Did you forget something?"

"Something like that," Lucas muttered as he stepped inside and went upstairs. His eyes narrowed on a small pile of tissues on the table that hadn't been there when he'd left. Maybe …

Brooke appeared, her forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Lucas?" Brooke asked.

Lucas took a step forward and wrapped one arm around her waist, whilst the other hand cupped her cheek. He stared into her surprised eyes before dipping his head and taking the kiss he'd been dying for since forever.

He slanted his mouth across hers and felt her instant response, to his relief. He let the kiss unfold gently, not wanting to scare her, before the fire between them ignited as he'd known it would and he deepened the kiss. His body felt like it was in flames as he held her tighter and she let out a little moan. Her small hands stroked his back as she arched closer to him. He groaned as he pulled her closer and she continued to obscure his senses. Her lips were addictive and he had no desire to pull away from them. Her hands found their way under his tee and the feel of her feverish hands on his skin made him shudder.

"Brooke," her name escaped from his lips.

"Lucas," she echoed breathlessly before reaching up to capture his lips once more.

She teased and coerced, causing his body to explode with need. He'd known it would be like this between them. After their first kiss, it couldn't be any other way. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, never breaking the kiss. He carried her to the couch using instinct and fell back, keep her just where he wanted her. He buried his fingers in her hair as he began an assault on her lips to rival her own attack on his. He nipped her gently; he trailed kisses across her nape and felt her shiver at his touch. Smiling slightly, he returned to her mouth and deepened the kiss once more. Soon, they were both breathless and panting as they rested their foreheads together.

"Wow," Brooke murmured when she had caught her breath.

"Yeah," Lucas agreed softly.

"This kiss ended better than our first," Brooke chuckled softly.

"Brooke …" Lucas trailed off.

"What happens next, Lucas?" Brooke whispered faintly.

*

_"What happens next, Lucas?" Brooke whispered faintly._

Lucas slowly rubbed the small of her back absently as he looked at her.

"Lucas?" Brooke whispered questioningly.

"What do you want to happen?" Lucas finally asked her.

"I don't know," Brooke admitted slowly. "I didn't think … I didn't expect …"

"Me neither," Lucas chuckled softly.

"This is insane, right?" Brooke asked with a smile playing at her lips.

"Completely insane," Lucas agreed.

"I mean, we're nothing alike," Brooke pointed out.

"You're vulnerable," Lucas reminded her as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're vulnerable too." Brooke bit her lip as she sighed.

"What does that mean?" Lucas asked, surprised.

"Come on, Lucas," Brooke said slightly nervously. "You don't react the way you reacted to me at first without reason."

Lucas stroked her cheek idly. "You always amaze me," he admitted.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Brooke said gently as she placed her hands on his chest and looked down. "But it's another reason why this is insane."

"So we've established that this is crazy," Lucas sighed. "So why do I want to kiss you again?"

"Why do I want you to kiss me again?" Brooke's lips lifted into a cheeky smile.

"It'll never work," Lucas murmured as his head lowered.

"We'll drive each other mad within a week," Brooke agreed softly as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"Insanity is looking pretty tempting right now," Lucas said before his lips captured hers again.

He felt the passion rising inside him again, threatening to overspill and carry them both into dangerous territory, but he kept the kiss light and playful, nipping at her lips and chuckling as she nipped his in response.

"This could become addictive," Brooke sighed against his lips.

"This could become complicated," Lucas murmured.

"So are we doing … this?" Brooke asked.

"I don't think we have a choice, if we want to keep kissing each other," Lucas grinned as she tucked her head under his chin and lay against his chest.

"I guess if we don't have a choice …" Brooke's voice trailed away.

They sat in comfortable silence, Lucas stroking her back soothingly and Brooke tracing a pattern on Lucas' shirt.

"Are you going back to work on Monday?" Lucas asked idly.

"Yeah," Brooke sighed. "It's time I got out of this apartment and faced the world outside."

"I can walk you to work if you like," Lucas offered.

"That's sweet," Brooke smiled against his chest. "I'd like that. You can see my dress designs that Mandy took last week."

"Your first clothes line?" Lucas teased. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do on a Monday morning than look at girls clothes."

"Just for that, I'm going to make sure you wait around until I've modelled everything," Brooke laughed.

"That's your idea of punishment?" Lucas asked. "I think we're going to have a beautiful relationship."

"I'm just easing you in," Brooke giggled.

"Sounds good," Lucas whispered in her ear.

"Stop it," Brooke laughed as a shiver ran up her spine.

"Hey …" Haley stopped dead as she took in the scene. She jolted as Nathan crashed into her. They jolted as Peyton crashed into Nathan. And they all fell over as Jake crashed into the three of them, leaving Brooke and Lucas looking at Jenny standing over a jumbled pile of limbs.

"Ow!"

"That's my arm!"

"Nathan, get your leg off my head!"

"You're squashing my fingers!"

Brooke and Lucas laughed as they watched their friends trying to detach themselves from each other.

"Having fun?" Lucas asked as Nathan stood up and pulled Peyton up.

"What the hell is going on?" Haley asked as Jake helped her up.

"Nothing," Brooke said innocently.

"You often sit on guys laps with your head on their chest?" Peyton asked.

"She does, actually," Haley turned to talk to Peyton. "She does it all the time with Jake."

"It's a good thing I don't find that odd," Peyton laughed.

"Girls?" Jake prompted.

"Yes!" Haley turned back to Brooke and Lucas. "What are you doing?"

"I'd say … sitting," Lucas shrugged.

"Some might refer to it as cuddling," Nathan smirked.

"You could call it that," Brooke admitted.

"GUYS!" Haley yelled, frustrated.

"Fine, chill out, Hales," Brooke laughed. "Lucas and I, we're kinda going to see what it's like to date for real."

"You guys are dating!" Peyton grabbed Jake's hand and grinned stupidly.

"Something like that," Lucas agreed with a smile.

"Brooke!" Haley jumped up and down and squealed. "We've got to celebrate!"

Brooke cast a nervous glance at Lucas, who stroked her hand soothingly.

"We can stay in," Peyton said softy as she noted Brooke's wary look.

"It's probably time for me to start doing normal things," Brooke reached out for Peyton's hand and squeezed it gently.

"In that case, you'd probably need to get off of Lucas' lap and start shouting at him instead," Nathan grinned.

"Nathan!" Haley swatted at him.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm just saying … and weren't you the one who was creeped out when they started fake dating?"

"Hey, we were all creeped out by that," Haley reminded him.

"But that was because it was weird to see them fighting one day and looking all gooey and romantically at each other the next day," Jake chuckled, before pausing to look at the new couple. "You're not going to be all gooey and romantic, are you?"

"Don't worry, Jakie," Brooke assured him. "We're more … you and Peyton than Haley and Nathan."

"Thank God for that," Peyton sighed in relief.

"Hey!" Haley protested. "What are you saying?"

"That the two of you are nauseatingly coupley," Brooke shrugged.

"That the two of you are joined at the hand. And the waist sometimes," Lucas nodded in agreement.

"That the two of you are inseparable," Jake suggested diplomatically.

"That Nathan's a whipped little girl," Peyton chuckled, ducking as Nathan threw a cushion at her.

"What she said," Brooke laughed.

"Can we get back to celebrating Brooke and Lucas?" Haley glared at Brooke as she spoke.

"Sure. So long as we don't drink too much," Brooke groaned.

"Scouts honor," Lucas promised.

"It's not my fault that you didn't know I wasn't a scout," Lucas laughed as Brooke glared at him.

They were sitting in a bar, watching Nathan trying to teach Haley how to play pool unsuccessfully.

"You're a shady man, Lucas Scott," Brooke shook her head.

"That's why you're attracted to me," Lucas grinned as he leant over to kiss her forehead.

"Actually, it's because you own your own business," Brooke teased him.

"They're always after my money," Lucas sighed.

"Speaking of money," Brooke said innocently as she turned to Jake and Peyton, who were playing with Jenny, who'd been let in because Brooke had known the owner. "Have you guys decided when you want to get married yet?"

"What does that have to do with money?" Peyton asked, confused.

"Weddings are expensive," Brooke explained as if Peyton were slow.

"We can't afford expensive," Jake said easily.

"That's why I think you're going to love my idea," Brooke clapped excitedly, leaning forward and bringing Lucas with her.

"Uh-oh," Lucas chuckled.

"My idea is great," Brooke glared at him before turning back to Jake and Peyton with a beaming smile.

"Go ahead," Peyton said. "We're open to anything."

"Only because you're too lazy to do it yourselves," Brooke chided them. "I thought maybe we could go back to Tree Hill and you could get married in that beautiful little church we used to pass when we were kids, and we all agreed we'd get married there."

"What about flights?" Jake asked as he squeezed Peyton's hand.

"Let them be mine and Nathan's wedding present to you," Lucas offered.

Brooke turned and beamed at him, before laying a smacking kiss on his lips.

"Brooke, I actually think you're a genius," Peyton laughed, her eyes shining.

"Of course I am," Brooke said modestly as she leaned into Lucas and sighed happily.

"What about my dress and flowers?" Peyton asked.

"You're talking to an almost-graduated design student," Brooke reminded Peyton with a brilliant smile. "We can measure you when we go home and I can either make you one from scratch or we can go shopping, pick you up a dress and alter it."

"Well, it's not like we're getting married tomorrow, so maybe you could make me one?" Peyton bit her lip.

"I was hoping you'd say that!" Brooke clapped excitedly. "We can pick up some satin tomorrow and you can tell me exactly what you want and I'll start this week!"

"So this is really happening," Jake grinned.

"You better believe it, buster," Brooke told him firmly. "This means you have to rent a suit and everything."

"Oh and Jenny needs a dress!" Peyton said as she picked the baby up and put her in her lap.

"So do Haley and I," Brooke mused. "I'm sure Mandy will let us have something. You have to come by Rueful and pick something out for us."

"There's plenty of time. The church will be booked up for months," Peyton laughed.

"Actually …" Brooke grinned.

"What?" Peyton's eyes narrowed.

"I rang the church this week. They've got a cancellation for the end of the month," Brooke giggled.

"But that's … three weeks," Jake worked out.

"So we better get a move on!" Brooke jumped up and down excitedly. "Can you book tickets for us?"

"Already done," Lucas said, grinning at Brooke's enthusiasm.

"I  _love_  having a boyfriend!" Brooke laughed. She reached up and pulled Lucas down for a kiss. "We're going to have a wedding!"

"But you've only just started dating!" Haley's mouth was hanging open in shock.

"No, Hales," Peyton shook her head, laughing. "Jake and I are having a wedding."

"Oh, I knew that," Haley said, embarrassed.

Brooke hugged Haley to her as she slid into the booth with them. "We've got three weeks until these two get hitched in Tree Hill."

"We're going to Tree Hill?" Haley asked eagerly. "That's so great!"

"I expect everyone to be at the apartment tomorrow morning to start planning," Brooke said firmly. "Early."

"We'll be there, Brooke," Peyton said as she buttoned up Jenny's coat. "You're amazing, you know?"

"I know," Brooke giggled before Jake and Peyton said their goodbyes.

"I'm uh … staying at Nathan's tonight," Haley said quickly. "But we'll be there in the morning."

"You two kids be careful," Brooke teased them as they walked out of the bar.

"You coming?" Nathan asked Lucas.

"I'm gonna walk Brooke home," Lucas said.

"See you in the morning then," Nathan waved goodbye as he led Haley away.

"Night!" Brooke called.

Lucas put his hand around Brooke's waist and brought her towards him.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey, boyfriend," Brooke whispered with a little smile.

"We're doing okay so far," Lucas grinned.

"No arguing yet," Brooke agreed.

"Arguing can be fun," Lucas teased her.

"Making up is funner," Brooke corrected him.

"There's no-one else I'd rather fight with, or make up with, than you, Miss Davis," Lucas whispered before capturing her lips in a kiss.

Brooke was aching with need by the time Lucas raised his head to smile at her.

"Walk me home?" she asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

"Always," Lucas replied as he took her hand and they walked home together.

"Lucas?" Brooke murmured as they reached her apartment.

"Brooke?" Lucas murmured in response.

"This thing … it isn't just physical is it?" Brooke asked nervously, biting her lip.

"Let's go upstairs, Brooke," Lucas murmured softly.

Brooke turned, confused, and opened the door. They walked upstairs in silence. Brooke stood in the middle of the room, looking small and vulnerable. Lucas stepped towards her and tipped her head up to look at him.

"I wanted to kill him, that night," Lucas said quietly. "And I would have, if you hadn't cried out. Jake wanted to carry you home, but I asked him to let me. I  _needed_  to take you home, and make sure you were safe. I stayed with you all night, and every night since, because I wanted to protect you."

"Lucas." Brooke's eyes shimmered as unshed tears filled her eyes.

"This thing between us isn't physical, Brooke," Lucas said in that same quiet tone. "My attraction for you is an extension of how I feel about you, Brooke. About you, Brooke, not your body. We can take this as slow as you like, because I'm in no rush. I want you to trust me."

"I do trust you, Lucas," Brooke sighed as she looked up at him, seeing the honesty in his eyes. "I trust you more than I've trusted anyone before, except for maybe Haley and Peyton. And that scares me."

"You don't have to be scared," Lucas smiled down at her reassuringly. "Wanting to protect you includes protecting you from me. I won't hurt you."

"If you do, Nathan and Jake will kick your butt," Brooke giggled happily.

"If I do, Haley and Peyton will kick my butt," Lucas chuckled.

"Will you stay with me tonight, and hold me?" Brooke asked softly.

Lucas nodded as he stroked her arms soothingly.

"But I'm not having sex with you, no matter how hard you try to seduce me," Lucas said firmly.

"Babe, if I tried to seduce you, you'd be a wreck in five minutes," Brooke whispered in his ear before running off towards her bedroom, giggling loudly.

Lucas chuckled softly before following her into her room. She knew him so well.

*

"Get away from me!"

"Come on, Peyton!" Brooke whined as she stalked her friend around the room.

"I'm not coming within ten feet of you until you've put that needle down," Peyton growled as she ran past the couch.

"Look, I'm sorry I pricked your stupid leg!" Brooke paused and glared at her.

"You didn't just prick my leg, you've been treating me like your personal pin cushion!" Peyton accused her.

"If you could just stand still for one minute, I wouldn't prick your stupid skin!" Brooke yelled.

"This is so much fun, guys," Haley said as she stuffed her mouth with more popcorn and looked between her friends. "Better than a Hugh Grant movie."

"SHUT UP HALEY!" Brooke and Peyton yelled in unison.

"Okay, chill out guys," Haley put her hands up in defence. "You've only got a week to get the dress perfect, so Peyton, stop fidgeting and Brooke, be more careful with sharp objects."

"Easy for you to say," Peyton muttered.

"Hey, don't blame me because our dresses were sorted two weeks ago," Brooke grinned as she kneeled before Peyton and picked up the hem.

"I'm just so stressed," Peyton sighed as Haley fed her popcorn gingerly, avoiding the dress. "What if something goes wrong? What if the dress isn't finished in time? What if the plane is delayed? What if Jake changes his mind and leaves me at the altar?"

"That's just … the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Brooke laughed.

"Brooke! I'm being serious!" Peyton kicked her foot out, hitting a surprised Brooke in the face and sending her sprawling onto the floor.

"Okay … ow!" Brooke glared up at her, rubbing her jaw.

"What Brooke means," Haley said as she pulled Brooke back onto her feet. "Is that the dress will be finished with plenty of time to spare, the plane won't be delayed, but even if it is, we still have lots of time to get to the church, and there is no way that Jake is going to be anywhere but standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for you, like he has since we were kids."

Brooke and Peyton stared at Haley.

"I think … I'm going to cry!" Brooke let out a little sob.

"Don't let me cry on my dress," Peyton sniffed.

"What the …" Haley stared at her friends.

"It's an emotional time!" Brooke said as she passed Peyton a tissue.

"Can we just get the dress finished so I can go over to Nathan's?" Haley shook her head and sighed.

"Ten more minutes and the dress will be perfect," Brooke assured her. "Then you can go and not have sex with Nathan and Lucas can come over and not have sex with me, and Peyton can go home and have sex with her husband-to-be."

"Sounds good to me," Peyton said as she swiped at her eyes.

"So Hales, how's life at the sports agency?" Brooke mumbled, her mouth full of needle and material.

"Pretty good, actually," Haley shrugged. "Who knew I had a talent for talking people into doing what I want?"

"Me," Peyton and Brooke chorused.

"Shut up," Haley said good-naturedly. "I'm actually thinking of quitting the newspaper and going to work there full time."

Peyton and Brooke spun around to stare at her.

"Haley, you've only been working there two days," Peyton pointed out.

"And you're only filling in whilst Lucas is sick," Brooke reminded her.

"And you're dating Nathan," Peyton shook her head.

"I know, it's stupid and reckless and I shouldn't do it," Haley sighed. "But I really  _really_  want to!"

"Are you being serious?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah," Haley shrugged. "I really love working there. And I don't spend that much time with Nathan, because he's normally out of the office whilst I'm on the phone all day."

"Why don't you give it a little more time before you decide?" Peyton suggested as she shared a look with Brooke. "You and Nathan haven't been dating more than a few months."

"It feels so much longer than that," Haley sighed happily. "I just know he's the one for me."

"Hey, I don't have time to make another wedding dress in a week, so don't get any ideas!" Brooke glared at her.

"Don't be silly," Haley laughed. "But I guarantee that when you make my wedding dress, it'll be for my wedding to Nathan. I just know it."

"That's great, Hales," Peyton tried to lift her arms to hug Haley, but found Brooke pulling down on them.

"Not until I've finished," Brooke growled. "Ten minutes, then the dress will be done, you can take it off and you can hug her as much as you like. But for the next ten minutes, you're mine, Sawyer."

"Okay, Davis," Peyton laughed.

Ten minutes later, the girls were staring into the full length mirror with tears in their eyes.

"Peyton, you look stunning," Haley whispered.

"Radiant," Brooke agreed emotionally.

"I do, don't I?" Peyton said in wonder as she turned to the side and swished the dress around her legs. "Brooke, you did an amazing job."

"It's your design," Brooke shrugged as she wrapped her arms around Haley and they looked up at Peyton.

The dress was ivory satin, since Peyton ruled out white. It was strapless and fell to halfway down her calves, despite Brooke's protesting, with simple embroidery across the bodice and a corset-style lacing at the back.

"I don't want to take it off," Peyton laughed.

"Unless you don't want to see Jake for a week, you'd better step out of the dress," Haley winked at her.

"It's a tough decision," Peyton pretended to ponder before dissolving into giggles.

"Come on, the guys will be here to pick you up any minute," Brooke sighed as she took one last look at Peyton before helping her out of the dress.

A knock at the door had them moving faster.

"I'll put it in my room while you let them in and Peyton changes," Haley told Brooke.

Brooke strolled down the stairs to let the guys and Jenny in.

"How's it … going?" Jake asked, wincing.

"All done," Brooke beamed.

"Thank God for that," Nathan sighed in relief.

"Shut up!" Brooke swiped at him before heading back up the stairs.

"Hey, where's my sympathy welcome kiss?" Lucas whined as he trailed Jake and Nathan up the stairs.

"When you stop being sick, then I'll kiss you," Brooke told him with a teasing wink.

"Man, you're strict," Jake shook his head. "Hey babe."

"Take me home," Peyton groaned as she fell into Jake's arms.

"Rough night?" Jake sympathised.

"See? That's sympathy!" Lucas glared at Brooke, who paid him no attention.

"Take her home so she can stop stressing about the wedding," Brooke waved them away.

"Thanks Brooke," Peyton hugged her before pulling Jake out of the door.

"And where's my girl?" Nathan asked.

"Here!" Haley bounded out of her room and leapt into his arms. "Hey."

"Hey," Nathan grinned at her before kissing the tip of her nose. "Miss me?"

"Shut up!" Brooke and Lucas groaned in unison.

"You saw each other two hours ago!" Brooke protested.

"And you called each other twice in that time!" Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Some people are grouchy tonight," Nathan muttered as he picked up Haley's bag and slung it across his shoulder.

"Some people have a 105 degree fever," Lucas muttered.

"Some people have hypochondriacs for boyfriends," Brooke muttered.

"Well, we'll leave you to it," Haley said brightly, pulling Nathan towards the door.

"Night!" Nathan called as the door closed behind them.

Brooke and Lucas stared at each other.

"I'm not contagious, you know," Lucas pointed out.

"But you're so sick that you have a 105 degree fever," Brooke said cynically.

"Maybe not 105 degrees," Lucas admitted.

"And maybe you're just pulling a couple of sickies," Brooke said, raising her eyebrows.

"Maybe," Lucas grinned unrepentantly.

"You're so bad," Brooke giggled as she gave in and skipped across the room to fall next to him.

"You're a bad influence," Lucas shrugged as he dropped a kiss on her hair.

"Haley wants to come work for you permanently," Brooke said idly as she snuggled closer to him.

"Great," Lucas murmured.

"Seriously?" Brooke asked in surprise.

"Sure," Lucas shrugged. "You can come work for us if you like. Hell, so can Peyton and Jake."

"The rest of us are happy enough with our jobs, thanks," Brooke smiled up at him. "She also said she's going to marry Nathan one day."

"Not any day soon though, right?" Lucas stroked her arm idly.

"Nope," Brooke sighed. "But I have already made her wedding dress."

"You have?" Lucas asked in surprise.

"I made it three years ago," Brooke grinned. "Same time as I made mine."

"Let me see!" Lucas sat up and pulled her next to him.

"No way!" Brooke protested.

"Why not?" Lucas pouted.

"Because," Brooke said firmly.

"Because … you might want to marry me one day?" Lucas teased.

"No!" Brooke laughed nervously.

"I'm kidding," Lucas said as he dropped another kiss on her mouth. "So how come you made those three years ago and not Peyton's?"

"She wouldn't let me," Brooke huffed. "She said she wasn't getting married so it was pointless."

"And here she is, getting married first," Lucas chuckled.

"And I'm probably going to get married last, since Haley's decided she's marrying Nate," Brooke pouted.

"Hey, if they announce their engagement, we'll be on a plane to Vegas to get a quickie marriage, and we'll get it annulled the next day, okay?" Lucas teased her.

"Don't joke, I might take you up on it," Brooke laughed.

"It's a deal, Brooke Davis," Lucas held out his hand.

"Brooke Davis-Scott, one day," Brooke giggled as she sat back into his embrace.

"One day," Lucas murmured with a smile.

*

"I'm going to throw up," Peyton groaned.

"No you're not," Brooke told her firmly. "You can throw up in twenty minutes if you want when this is all over and you're Mrs. Peyton Jagielski, but not before."

"I can't get married, I'm too young," Peyton panicked.

"You and Jake are perfect for each other," Haley repeated the line she'd been saying for the past week, whenever Peyton got spooked. "And you'll get a husband and a daughter and you'll live happily ever after."

"No we won't!" Peyton glared at her. "We'll be divorced in a year!"

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, pull yourself together!" Brooke yelled. "You're going to walk into that church, your father will walk you down the aisle and then you'll marry Jake, the man of your dreams, the guy you've been dating since forever and the most perfect guy in the whole world!"

"Okay," Peyton agreed meekly.

Brooke glared at her before Larry appeared to open the car door.

"You look beautiful, Peyton," he told his daughter, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Thanks Dad," Peyton blushed as he helped her out of the car, whilst Brooke and Haley were trying unsuccessfully to climb out the other door, giggling as they tried to detangle their shoes from their dresses.

"I'm getting married," Peyton whispered as she looked at the church she'd dreamt of marrying Jake in since she was twelve.

"You sure are," Brooke said as she finally emerged from the car and hurried around to hug her.

"I can't believe you're finally doing it," Haley said tearfully as she hugged Peyton from the other side.

They stepped back and Brooke fussed with her veil before grabbing Haley's hand and blinking away tears.

"Make sure she walks down that aisle, Mr Sawyer," Haley teased.

"I'm not going anywhere," Peyton said before taking a deep breath. "This is Jake. I've been waiting to marry him since forever. And now I'm really going to do it."

"Let's go get married then!" Brooke leant forward and kissed Peyton's cheek.

Haley gave Peyton's hand a reassuring squeeze before the girls walked towards the church and disappeared inside.

"Let's go make it official," Larry whispered to Peyton as he offered her his arm.

"I'm so glad you're here, Dad," Peyton half-laughed, half-cried as she took his arm and took her first cautious step towards the church.

"My only daughter is getting married, where else would I be?" Larry said seriously as he helped her into the church.

"I love you, Dad," Peyton said as she looked up at him.

"I love you too, Peyton," he answered as he smiled at her.

The organ started playing the Wedding March, causing the butterflies in Peyton's stomach to explode. Larry led her down the aisle, and Peyton grinned stupidly as Brooke and Haley turned towards her with goofy beaming smiles on their faces. She gave Lucas and Nathan a little wave as she passed them. She smiled at Jake's parents. Then she saw Jake.

He hadn't turned to look at her yet. Larry paused to lift up her veil, before Jake turned to take her hand. The look in his eyes soothed her nerves immediately.

"You look beautiful," Jake whispered as he took her hand gently.

"You're looking pretty handsome yourself," Peyton couldn't stop her smile growing wider. What the hell, it was her wedding day. She was allowed to feel girly and feminine for one day. One perfect day.

"Hey cutie," Peyton looked down to see Jenny, dressed in a pretty blue dress, grasping her fathers hand. "You wanna hold my hand too?"

Jenny nodded as she held out her hand to Peyton, who took it gently.

The minister began the ceremony.

When they said their vows, repeating the traditional, time-honored marriage vows, Jake stroked Peyton's hand tenderly, sending Haley and Brooke into floods of tears, which caused Nathan and Lucas to look at each other in horror.

By the time the ceremony was over, Brooke and Haley were a tearful mess that the boys were afraid to approach. Instead, they offered their congratulations to the happy couple, shaking Jake's hand and patting him on the back, and kissing Peyton's hand and offering compliments on her appearance.

"How does it feel to be Mr. Peyton Sawyer?" Nathan teased Jake, winking at Peyton.

"Like the day I've been waiting forever for has finally arrived," Jake said as he bent to kiss Peyton again. He just couldn't stop wanting to kiss her.

Lucas and Nathan visibly winced as Haley and Brooke burst into a fresh round of tears.

"Your time will come," Jake grinned at them as he pulled Peyton closer to him.

"No chance," Lucas shuddered.

"Not if they're gonna cry like this again," Nathan agreed. "If there's one thing I can't deal with, it's a crying girl. Multiple crying girls are my worst nightmare."

Jake glanced behind them and laughed. "Don't look now, then."

Brooke flung herself into Lucas' arms and Haley slid into Nathan's, both still crying.

"They're just so perfect together!" Haley's muffled voice sobbed.

"After all they've been through …" Brooke's equally muffled voice cried.

Nathan and Lucas patted them slightly awkwardly on the back, giving each other anxious glances.

"Perhaps we should give the newlyweds some time alone," Nathan suggested. "Since they're not going on honeymoon until next month."

"They're probably desperate to go to their honeymoon suite," Haley teased.

"Some time alone would be great," Jake admitted and Peyton nodded, her eyes shining.

"Jenny's going with your parents?" Brooke asked as they helped Peyton back into the car Larry had rented for her to arrive and leave in.

"They're threatening bodily damage to anyone who interrupts their time with their favorite granddaughter," Jake chuckled.

"We'll call tomorrow afternoon before we pick you up for the airport," Lucas said as Jake got into the car.

"Sounds great," Jake grinned as he settled himself next to Peyton and linked his hand with hers, feeling the small wedding band on her finger and smiling to himself.

"Bye!" the four of them chorused as the car pulled away.

"I think we need a tour," Lucas decided.

"It'll take about ten minutes," Brooke laughed.

An hour later, the four of them were barefoot and walking idly along the beach.

"This place is beautiful," Lucas noted.

Brooke leaned into him and he put his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

"You missed a place on the tour," Nathan pointed out. "We saw Peyton's house, and we saw Jake's. We saw the house where Haley grew up, even if we were chased away by the owners, but we haven't seen Brookes."

"You don't want to see my old house," Brooke laughed.

"Why not?" Lucas asked.

"Because she's afraid you'll find out she's just a big old fake," Haley teased Brooke.

"Haley," Brooke warned.

"Brooke, come on," Lucas pleaded. "Let's go see your home."

"My house," Brooke corrected in a mutter. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Ten minutes later, and they were standing outside Brooke's house.

"You live in a mansion?" Nathan asked in wonder.

"I used to," Brooke sighed. "Until Haley and I packed up and moved to New York."

"I don't get it," Lucas frowned.

"Because we're always so poor?" Brooke laughed dryly, avoiding answering the inherent question Lucas hadn't asked.

She glanced at Haley, who was looking at her sympathetically, before heading towards the house. Bending down, she flipped over a rock and picked up the key hidden underneath. She opened the house and turned off the alarm.

"Where are your parents?" Nathan asked as he followed her inside.

"Jamaica, Australia, Japan, Bombay …" Brooke reeled off the list. "Who can keep track?"

Lucas walked over to Brooke and linked his hand with hers, understanding in his eyes. "I'm proud of you, Brooke Davis," he said softly.

Brooke smiled up at him before leading them around the house, finally ending up in her bedroom.

She walked inside slowly, running her hands over her furniture and picking up the stuffed bear on her bed.

"They kept everything," Haley said softly.

"They don't spend enough time here to think about clearing my room," Brooke said with a sigh.

She opened her wardrobe and a slight smile came to her lips. "Remember when I wore this?" she asked Haley as she pulled out a black dress.

"Your eighteenth birthday dress," Haley laughed. "We spent hours looking for that dress, and some guy spilled his drink on it five minutes after we got to your party."

"Peyton was threatening to kill him," Brooke grinned. "Not because I was upset, but because she'd spent so many hours with me looking for a dress and he'd ruined it."

"And our dresses," Haley said softly as she came to stand next to Brooke, fingering the white material. "You made them after …"

"Peyton told us she was going to marry Jake one day," Brooke laughed softly. "And we were so upset because we thought we'd never get married because we were single."

"We watched that episode of Friends over and over again when I made them," Brooke recalled, giggling. "When they all put on wedding dresses."

"But you wouldn't let us put ours on, in case it was bad luck," Haley remembered.

"You could try yours on now," Brooke said to Haley with a smile. "I don't think it'd be bad luck anymore."

Brooke and Haley shared a smile before they both turned to Nathan.

"You can't see it though," Brooke told him firmly. "Both of you, out. Go make lunch or something."

Lucas kissed her forehead before leading a protesting Nathan out.

"It's a girl thing," Lucas explained as they headed downstairs.

"It's still perfect," Haley said as she examined the dress. "I wonder if it'll still fit?"

"Haley, you haven't put an ounce on in five years," Brooke laughed as she took the dress from her and laid it on the bed. Haley had asked Brooke to make a simple, elegant white dress, with no embroidery or anything complex on it. As Brooke helped Haley into the garment, she realised Haley had been absolutely correct. The pure simplicity of the dress set off by Haley's beauty made an astonishingly beautiful combination.

Haley grinned as she saw herself in the mirror.

"It's still perfect," Brooke agreed, unshed tears in her eyes.

"Brooke, where's your-" Nathan paused in the doorway as he caught sight of Haley.

Haley gasped and grabbed Brooke, hiding behind her.

"Nathan! You're not meant to see me in my wedding dress! It's bad luck!" Haley panicked.

"I think that's only if you're engaged," Brooke said helpfully.

"Haley," Nathan said softly, his eyes only on her. "Let's get married."

*

Two gaping faces stared at him.

Nathan felt his heart start to race. What the hell had he just done? He'd asked Haley to marr- Oh God. Oh holy hell.

"Nathan," Haley began with a nervous laugh. "What did you just say?"

"He asked you to marry him!" Brooke's voice rose in excitement and confusion.

"Brooke, get out," Nathan said politely.

No one moved. Nathan didn't take his eyes off Haley as he yelled out to Lucas. Seconds later, his brother appeared at the door.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked as he took a bite of the sandwich he'd just made. "Nice dress, Hales."

"Take your girlfriend downstairs and don't let her out of your sight," Nathan ordered.

"Okay," Lucas said slowly, looking from Nathan to Haley via Brooke, who was standing between them. "Come on, Brooke, honey."

No one moved.

"Brooke," Lucas prompted again, holding out his hand.

No one moved.

Nathan's eyes narrowed. Stalking over to them, he physically lifted Brooke and put her in Lucas' arms. "Go. Downstairs. Now."

Lucas' expression reflected his confusion, but he knew better than to try to get anything out of Nathan right now. He disappeared out of the door with a silent, shocked Brooke in his arms.

"Nathan," Haley whispered, her eyes full of love and fear.

"Marry me," Nathan repeated softly as he took her hands in his.

"We can't get married." Haley's eyes opened wide.

"Sure we can," Nathan disagreed. "Why can't we?"

"Because we've only known each other for a few months? Because we've only been dating two months?" Haley reminded him as if he'd gone crazy.

"We both know we're meant for each other," Nathan countered, his eyes fierce and loving. "I'm going to love you forever. And you'll love me always. Why wait? You're in a wedding dress, I'm in a suit and the church you've always wanted to get married in is six blocks away. Your two best friends are in town. Marry me, Hales. Marry me now."

"This is crazy," Haley said slowly, her eyes shining.

"Is that a yes?" Nathan asked, his lips curving into a grin.

"This is insane," Haley laughed as she threw her arms around his neck.

"That's a yes, right?" Nathan asked as he twirled her around.

"Ask me properly," Haley whispered as he lowered her to the ground.

Nathan sighed even as he bent down on one knee. "Haley James, will you marry me, even though it's crazy and insane, because we're meant to be together?"

"Yes," Haley whispered before throwing herself into his arms. He fell backwards, off-balance as he caught her and they ended up sprawled across the floor, laughing whilst trying to kiss each other.

"SHE SAID YES!" they heard Brooke yell through the door.

The door opened and Lucas stood there, leaning casually on the doorframe. "Someone tells me you two are getting married."

"Yeah, we are," Nathan grinned as he looked up at his brother.

"You realise this is crazy, right?" Lucas said blankly.

"Wanna be my best man?" Nathan asked.

"I'd love to," Lucas grinned as he moved forward and scooped Haley from Nathan's embrace on the floor. "Congratulations, sister-in-law."

Haley giggled as Lucas plastered a huge kiss on her lips.

"Hey, that's my future wife!" Nathan protested.

"SHE SAID YES!" Brooke yelled as she ran into the room, her ear attached her cell phone.

"OH MY GOD!" they heard Peyton squeal.

Brooke landed on Nathan as she tripped over his body. "Hey, Mr Scott. I heard you're planning to marry into the Sawyer-James-Davis family. What are your intentions towards Haley?"

"I plan to love her and cherish her and watch stupid Hugh Grant movies with her, til the day we die," Nathan grinned as he wrapped his arms around Brooke.

"That's good enough for me," Brooke giggled as Nathan squeezed her tight. "What about you, Mrs Jagielski?"

"We're coming over!" Peyton yelled into the phone.

"But it's your honeymoon!" Haley protested loudly.

"We can have that any time," Jake said as he came on the line. "We'll be over in ten minutes."

Brooke hung up the phone before sitting bolt upright, winding Nathan in the process. "Oh my God."

"What?" Haley asked fearfully.

"Lucas and I have to go to Vegas," Brooke glared at Haley.

"… Why?" Haley asked, confused.

"Because he promised I wouldn't be the last one to get married!" Brooke hung her head. She reached out to punch Nathan's arm for good measure.

"You and Lucas talked about getting married?" Haley asked in surprise.

"Your boyfriend of two months just asked you to marry him, so you can't talk," Brooke pointed out. "Besides, we were going to get it annulled straight away."

"Would it help if I said you could be my maid of honor?" Haley said softly as she held out her hands to Brooke.

"A little," Brooke sniffed as Haley helped her up. "I am dressed for the part."

"Wait a minute," Lucas held up his hand and silenced everyone. "Did I miss something?"

"What?" Brooke looked over at him.

"I thought the 'lets get married' thing was a hypothetical, long-engagement kind of thing. So unless you're planning to wear that dress for a long time," Lucas said as he gestured to Brooke, "I've missed something."

"We thought, since Haley's all dressed up and I'm all dressed up …" Nathan trailed off as he picked himself up from the ground.

"Okay, you seriously are insane," Lucas groaned. "Mom's gonna kill you. Actually, she's going to kill me for not stopping you and making sure she had time to get to your wedding."

"She can come visit when we're in New York," Nathan shrugged, unrepentant.

"That's a good point," Lucas began. "Where are you going to live?"

"We'll rent a place together," Nathan said easily.

"And how is Brooke going to afford a place on her own?" Lucas raised his eyebrows.

"You could move in with her?" Nathan said hesitantly.

"Whoa!" Brooke interrupted. "Just because you and Haley decided to skip ahead a few years and get married, it doesn't mean Lucas and I want to move in together, after only dating a few weeks."

"Brooke," Haley said, her eyes troubled.

"Don't you worry about little old me," Brooke patted Haley's shoulder. "With the pay rise from the design line, I'll be able to afford a little apartment by myself."

"Are you sure?" Haley asked. "I wouldn't leave you high and dry."

"I know," Brooke laughed lightly. "I'll get by, Haley. Now lets get you married, if we can find a vicar and a special license."

"Oh man, a special license!" Nathan groaned.

"Come on, first stop the local doctors surgery for blood tests, next stop County Hall for the license, and by then, I'm sure Brooke will have rustled up a Judge or Vicar or a Captain or someone qualified to marry the two of you," Lucas said with a grin.

Three hours later and they met back at Brooke's house.

"The vicar can do the ceremony, but not at the church. It's being used for some class or something," Brooke shrugged. "So I told him you wanted to get married on the beach."

"The beach?" Nathan repeated uncertainly.

"It's romantic," Brooke glared at him.

"The beach sounds great," Nathan said enthusiastically.

"Let's go," Haley said as she gathered her dress up and headed for the door.

"You're just going to walk through town in a wedding dress?" Peyton asked slowly.

"Looks like it," Haley grinned as she opened the door and walked outside.

Brooke and Peyton glanced at each other before running after her. "Mind the skirts in the dirt!" Brooke yelled.

"Hey man," Jake said to Nathan as they left the house. "I know Haley's parents aren't here, so I'm feeling a little responsible for her."

"Are you going to give me the father-son-in-law chat?" Nathan asked in disbelief. "You're six years younger than me!"

"But I am a married man," Jake grinned.

"For five hours!" Nathan protested.

"Look, all I'm going to say is that you better be sure Haley's the one for you," Jake said slowly. "She deserves a happily ever after, and as long as you're aware of that, then congratulations."

"This is forever, Jake," Nathan said seriously. "I promise her that."

Jake grinned as he clapped him on the back. "Let's get you to the church then."

"Are you sure about this?" Brooke whispered to Haley. "I mean, I know you love Nathan, but this is all so sudden."

"I'm sure, Brooke," Haley assured her with a beatific smile.

"You're not rushing into this?" Peyton asked.

"Of course we are," Haley laughed. "But that doesn't make it any less right."

"I wish I had your confidence," Brooke sighed. "You're a lucky girl, Haley James. Nathan is a great guy."

"He is, isn't he?" Haley beamed.

"At least this way, the guys have twice the possibility of remembering our anniversaries," Peyton teased.

"You guys are gonna share an anniversary," Brooke whispered as her eyes began to fill. "I'm going to be all alone!"

"Brooke!" Peyton laughed. "Don't be silly."

"I'm not being silly," Brooke sobbed as she brushed the tears away.

"Well, Lucas is only a few steps away …" Haley teased.

"Some of us don't get married after only knowing each other a few months," Brooke glared at Haley.

"Your time will come, Brooke," Peyton assured her. "And your wedding won't be rushed in three weeks."

"Or three hours," Haley added with a giggle.

"Your wedding will be planned in detail, and everyone will attend and it'll be just perfect," Peyton said firmly.

"But this is perfect for you," Brooke sighed. "I'm just so happy for you both, yet so stupidly upset for some reason."

"It's okay," Haley stopped to hug her as they reached the beach.

Peyton spotted the vicar and waved him over.

"Ready to get married?" Nathan asked Haley with a grin.

"Definitely," Haley said as she put her hand confidently in his.

"Ready to watch another wedding in less than five hours?" Lucas whispered to Brooke.

She nodded, unable to speak for fear of crying again.

They watched as Nathan and Haley stood together in front of the vicar.

Nathan had managed to buy two very plain wedding bands in the interim, but neither band fitted correctly. He laughed as he slipped it onto Haley's finger, promising to get it resized as soon as possible so that everyone knew she was very married. Haley promised the same thing, giggling as the band only made it halfway onto Nathan's finger.

Then the vicar pronounced them man and wife, and Nathan kissed his bride, amidst the cheering of not only the four guests, but the crowd that had surrounded them through the ceremony. Nathan and Haley laughed as they saw the crowd and accepted everyone's best wishes with grace and humor.

Lucas and Brooke stood away from the crowd. He put his arms around her and sighed. "Still want to go to Vegas?"

"Too late now," Brooke noted.

"Seeing your two best friends get married in the same day doesn't make you feel like walking down the aisle?" Lucas teased.

"Of course not," Brooke snapped before she pulled away from his embrace and glared at him.

"Brooke, I was kidding," Lucas said with an easy smile.

"I don't want to get married. I don't want to be settled down at nineteen. I don't want any of this," Brooke waved her hand towards Jake and Peyton, and Nathan and Haley. "I don't want this, and I don't want you!"

Lucas stared in shock as Brooke's eyes began to fill with tears and she spun around, running across the beach and away from him.

*

"She just … left," a dazed Lucas told the others.

"What happened?" Haley asked as she looked around, hoping that Brooke would magically appear.

"I was teasing her about you guys all getting married," Lucas frowned as he remembered. "But I was only teasing, she knows that."

Peyton and Brooke shared a look that didn't escape the guys.

"What?" Lucas asked.

"Brooke was feeling a bit down about being the only unmarried one of the three of us," Peyton said slowly.

"Look, you guys go off and enjoy your honeymoons," Lucas said as he looked around. "At least for tonight. I'll find Brooke and we'll meet you all tomorrow to fly home."

"Call us when you find her," Haley made him promise.

"Scouts Honor," Lucas promised before he jogged away, down the beach.

It didn't take long for him to catch up with her. He found her sitting in the sand, watching the tide flow in and out. He moved slowly, giving her plenty of time to make a move if she wanted to, but she remained in the same position, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

"Is this beach taken?" he asked softly.

Brooke shrugged, so he took that as an invitation to sit next to her.

"Brooke, I'm sorry," Lucas said gently. "For whatever I said to upset you. I was only teasing."

Brooke's head nodded imperceptibly.

"You want to tell me what's wrong?" Lucas asked.

"You'll think I'm crazy," Brooke whispered.

"I'm kind of thinking that anyway," Lucas teased as he lifted his hand to turn her face towards him. "Tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"I've lost my two best friends in one day," Brooke mumbled.

"They only got married, Brooke," Lucas frowned. "They're not abandoning you."

"But it won't be the same," Brooke murmured. "Ever again. Haley won't be my roommate anymore."

"You'll still be as close as you are now," Lucas said as he wrapped his arm around her. "You haven't lost either of them, Brooke. Like I haven't lost Nathan."

"You share parents," Brooke said with a ghost of a smile. "You're legally required to keep him."

"You and Haley and Peyton share something that's just as real as Nathan and I," Lucas murmured.

"I know," Brooke sighed. "It's just hard to watch it happen all at once."

"You'll get through it," Lucas assured her.

"Guess you think I'm still crazy, huh?" Brooke asked with a smile.

"That depends," Lucas considered. "Do you really not want me?"

"That depends," Brooke echoed with a grin. "Are you going to propose to me in the next year?"

"Cross my heart," Lucas promised. "You'll hear no marriage proposals from me."

"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," Brooke swiped an imaginary tear from her eye.

Lucas chuckled before dragging Brooke across him and laying back in the sand, Brooke laying over him. She lowered her head to kiss him, and they lost themselves for a while.

Breathing deeply, Brooke pulled back and sat up, brushing the sand off her dress. Lucas sat up and looked at her.

"Brooke, I won't ever try to trap you, I promise," he said softly.

"I know," Brooke smiled at him. "I just freaked out for a moment."

"Freak out over?" Lucas asked.

"For the moment," Brooke teased as she scrambled to her feet. "I should call Haley and Peyton to tell them I'm okay."

Lucas nodded and led her off the beach as she called them.

*

 

Brooke walked into her childhood house and heard Lucas shut the door behind him.

"You hungry?" Brooke asked as she took a step towards the kitchen. Lucas' hand on her arm stopped her.

"I'm kind of tired," Lucas said with a wry smile. "It's been a long day."

"No kidding," Brooke agreed with a laugh.

Lucas took her hand and led her upstairs.

"You want me to take a spare room?" Lucas asked as they stood in the doorway to her room.

"No," Brooke answered with a teasing smile. "I think I'm ready to wreck you in five minutes."

Lucas' eyes widened. "Brooke, are you sure?"

Brooke just nodded, her eyes sparkling.

Lucas bent his head to capture her lips in a sweet kiss.

"Make sure you tell me to stop if anything changes your mind," Lucas murmured against her lips before he gathered her into his arms and heading for her bed.

She felt him lower her gently onto the bed and watched him with hooded eyes as he joined her. His lips were gentle on hers, but they still made her heart race, just like always. Without breaking the kiss, she helped him out of his jacket and undid his tie, throwing it on the floor with abandon. His hands threaded through her hair as she undid the buttons to his shirt, before running her hands over his smooth torso.

"Brooke," Lucas murmured, as he unzipped her dress. "I could really fall in love with you."

Brooke broke the kiss and looked at him in surprise. "Lucas …"

"Don't be scared," Lucas smiled at her as he kissed the tip of her nose gently. "It's not a marriage proposal. Or even a confession of undying love. Nothing to make you run away again."

"Lucas, I-" Brooke paused, uncertain.

"You don't have to say it back, Brooke," Lucas said. "I just wanted you to know how I feel, before we do this."

Brooke blinked as Lucas captured her mouth once again. All thought escaped her mind as she felt ripples of pleasure run through her body.

*

 

Lucas fell next to her, trying to catch his breath.

"Wow," he heard her whisper.

Grinning, Lucas opened one eye and looked at her. She looked beautifully mussed and loved, if he did say so himself.

"Don't get all cocky," Brooke warned him, a twinkle in her eye.

"I wasn't," Lucas grinned as he put his hands behind his head and chuckled.

Brooke moved so her head was resting on his shoulder. "So that was pretty good."

"With us, it couldn't be anything else," Lucas laughed.

"What's going to happen when we get back home?" Brooke asked.

"I have no idea," Lucas admitted. "But just don't run away from me again, okay?"

"I promise," Brooke giggled. "From now on, you're stuck with me."

"Good," Lucas said softly.

"Lucas?" Brooke said as she snuggled closer to him.

Lucas dragged the covers up to envelop their cooling bodies. "Hmm?"

"I think I could fall in love with you too," Brooke murmured sleepily.

Lucas smiled to himself. Today had been full of surprises, but this was the perfect ending. He moved so that his arms were wrapped around Brooke, lacing his fingers through hers and he closed his eyes.

"We should have gotten married two months ago," Haley teased as she turned to look at her husband.

"No arguments from me," Nathan chuckled as he pulled her towards him for a kiss.

"I'm glad I waited for you," Haley murmured against his lips.

"Me too," Nathan echoed as his lips trailed down her nape.

"Nathan, what are we going to do when we get back home?" Haley asked, giggling as his fingers tickled her tummy.

"Skip work and have lots of sex," Nathan mumbled.

"I'm serious!" Haley laughed.

"We'll look for a place to rent," Nathan shrugged. "And we'll live happily ever after."

"I haven't even met your parents," Haley sighed. "And you haven't met mine."

"That's a good thing, trust me," Nathan grinned.

"Nathan!" Haley sighed as she fell back against the bed in the hotel room they'd rented.

"We've got the rest of our lives to sort it all out," Nathan said as he leaned over her, a smile playing on his lips.

"I guess we do," Haley giggled as she tugged his head down to connect his lips to hers.

"We sure do, Mrs Scott," Nathan grinned before kissing her senseless.

"That's Mrs James-Scott," Haley laughed when he finally lifted his head.

"Whatever you say, honey," Nathan chuckled.

*

 

"I'm Mrs Jagielski," Peyton said slowly.

"You can still be Ms Sawyer if you want," Jake offered with a smile.

"You know what I mean," Peyton laughed as she hit him with a pillow. "We're really married."

"A family," Jake said softly as he pulled her close to him.

"I feel like I've been waiting forever for this day," Peyton said as she looked up at him, her eyes shining with a little moisture.

"We both have," Jake reminded her before lowering his head and kissing her gently.

"What are we going to do now, Mr Jagielski?" Peyton asked with a grin. "We've settled down, got an apartment, we're married and we have steady jobs."

"I guess we'll just have to find something else to do," Jake teased.

"How about living a really boring life, just the three of us?" Peyton asked.

"Sounds perfect," Jake laughed as he picked her up and swung her around.

"Mr Jagielski," Peyton said seriously when he put her down. "Take me to bed?"

"With pleasure," Jake chuckled before his lips captured hers.

*

Peyton and Haley poked their heads around the corner, finding Brooke sitting amongst piles of designs and material.

"Hey, stranger," Haley said softly.

Brooke looked up, startled. "Hey!"

She jumped up, causing the material and paper to fly everywhere. She paused, mid-motion, to glare at the offending mess. It took her a moment to shrug off the chaos and continue towards her friends.

"Hey, married friends," Brooke grinned as she enveloped them in a hug. "How are the husbands?"

"They're great," Peyton said. "But they miss their friend. We kinda miss her too."

"I spoke to you both yesterday!" Brooke protested. "And I spoke to Jake  _and_  Jenny two days ago."

"Brooke Penelope Davis, we haven't seen you since we separated at the airport three weeks ago," Haley scolded her.

Brooke winced at the use of her middle name. "I've been busy."

"You know, other people might start to think that you're avoiding us," Peyton remarked casually.

"Other people would be stupid," Brooke grinned.

"You haven't come round the apartment," Haley said with regret.

"I was going to put some time aside this weekend," Brooke promised.

"Good," Peyton said as she slipped her hand through Brooke's arm. "But you're coming to see it tonight too."

"I have work to do!" Brooke laughed as Peyton dragged, and Haley pushed, her towards the door.

"Mandy said you could take off early," Haley said innocently.

"Have fun, girls!" Mandy cheerfully waved them off, ignoring Brooke's glare.

"Guys, I really was planning to come round," Brooke swore as they set off towards Haley and Nathan's new apartment.

"We know," Peyton said cheerfully. "We just missed our Brookie."

"And something tells us that you feel like you have to give the newlyweds some space," Haley noted. "And we do, but not this much space."

"So tell us what's going on in that head of yours," Peyton said as she squeezed Brooke's arm.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Brooke said, a little sullenly, digging in her heels and forcing Peyton and Haley to drag her along the sidewalk.

"Just because we're married, it doesn't change anything," Haley said idly.

"Yes it does," Brooke said before covering her mouth and groaning.

"Ha!" Haley said gleefully. "I told you something was up."

"Congrats, Hales," Peyton said wryly. "If we ever need a mystery solved, you're our girl."

Haley mock glared at her before turning her attention back to Brooke. "So come on, spill."

"Lucas and I only just got together," Brooke said offhandedly.

Haley and Peyton exchanged confused looks.

"Okay," Peyton said slowly.

"We don't get it," Haley confessed.

"I don't get to experience this stuff with you," Brooke sighed. "Lucas and I aren't even close to a real commitment. He doesn't really share stuff with me. We just have this amazing sexual chemistry that is off the charts, which once upon a time I'd take, no questions asked, but that's not everything. It's not even close to everything. And you guys have already found your everythings. I just feel this enormous … pressure. Pressure to find someone like Jake, or Nathan. And pressure to make that guy Lucas, whether he is the guy or not, because can you imagine how awkward all this would become if we decided to call it quits? And what if Lucas and I drift into marriage and it's not right for either one of us? What happens then?"

Peyton and Haley stared at Brooke.

"We need a coffee," Haley said slowly.

"Café two yards away," Peyton said, just as slowly. She led Brooke over to a table as if she was a fragile young child. Haley quickly placed an order before they turned to Brooke.

"Where did all that come from?" Haley asked as she put her hand over Brooke's and stroked it comfortingly.

"I don't know," Brooke said miserably. "I hate feeling like this, because this isn't me. This is all your fault!"

"You shouldn't feel any pressure, just because your friends are stupid enough to get married in their teens," Peyton said, tongue in cheek. "We're the ones under pressure to make it work."

"You and Lucas will find your own way," Haley said comfortingly. "Just like Peyton and Jake found their way, eventually, and Nathan and I hurried into our way."

"If things don't work out with you and Lucas, then we'll figure it out," Peyton said firmly.

"And sex is a great place to start," Haley said with a grin. Off their looks, Haley blushed. "What?"

"Hales, one could be mistaken for thinking that you and Nathan only got married so you could have sex," Brooke teased.

"That's so untrue!" Haley laughed. "But, although I have no frame of reference, Nathan and I seem to do pretty well in the bedroom."

"Just the bedroom?" Peyton's eyebrows rose.

"And the kitchen, and the bathroom," Haley admitted, the color rising in her cheeks.

Brooke and Peyton burst into laughter.

"Stop laughing at me!" Haley pouted.

"Sorry," Peyton offered when she managed to control her laughter. "So Brooke, are you still feeling down?"

"Maybe," Brooke murmured sadly.

"Would ice cream and cheesy romantic movies cheer you up?" Haley asked.

"Maybe," Brooke's voice brightened considerably.

"And what if your gorgeous, thoughtful boyfriend wanted to snuggle up on the floor with you during these movies?" Peyton offered.

"That'd be okay," Brooke tried to fight a grin but gave in.

"He and the guys will be over after work," Haley said as they sipped on their coffees.

"How's the paper?" Brooke asked, steering the conversation away from herself.

"My editor says I might get a promotion," Haley shrugged, unenthused.

"And you're not happy because?" Brooke asked.

"Because that means I'm going to get settled in that office and that career for the rest of my life," Haley sighed. "What happened to me? I wanted to become a famous singer. I wanted to tour the world, and here I am, married at nineteen and stuck in a newspaper job."

"Dreams fade away," Brooke murmured.

"Not yours," Haley pointed out. "You're designing clothes. Peyton's settled down with Jake and Jenny, working in a music store. You're both doing what you wanted to do for the past ten years."

"Well, our dreams were a little more obtainable," Peyton pointed out with a smile. "Although I didn't always think so, sometimes."

"Even if I don't become a singer, I know I don't want to be stuck in that office," Haley groaned.

"So quit," Brooke said bluntly. "Go find a job doing whatever it is that you want to do."

"I don't know what I want to do," Haley whined. "Maybe I should just quit and go help the boys out at the agency until I figure it out."

"Do they need help?" Peyton asked as she put down her empty cup.

"Their secretary called in sick this morning," Haley shrugged. "Apparently she caught chicken pox from her daughter."

"Painful," Brooke sympathised. "But you'd still need to give work two weeks notice."

"Or take my holiday, that I'm entitled to, and then quit," Haley said softly.

"I say do it," Peyton said decisively. "Screw your job."

"Screw my job?" Haley laughed, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," Peyton said firmly.

"Okay then." Haley's eyes twinkled. "I'm going to quit, and possibly give Nathan a heart attack."

"He's young, he can take the shock," Brooke teased as they all stood up.

*

 

"You okay?" Lucas asked as they walked home, after spending the evening watching movies at Nathan and Haley's.

"I'm fine," Brooke smiled up at him as she wrapped her coat around her.

"You're a terrible liar," Lucas remarked.

"I'm a great liar!" Brooke protested.

"That's … disturbing to know," Lucas chuckled. "But I can tell you're hiding something. Out with it, Davis."

"You don't talk about your past," Brooke said softly. "I mean, you know all about James, in fact, you probably know a little too much about James for both our liking, but you know it all. You also know about everything that happened after James. But I don't know anything about you."

"Yes you do," Lucas murmured as he stopped to buy them a hot chocolate each. "You just don't know that you know it."

"Like?" Brooke asked dubiously.

"You know when I get angry or upset, basketball calms me. You know I'm close to my brother, but not my parents. You know what books I read and what music I listen to, even if you don't approve," he teased as he passed her the steaming drink. "You know I have a temper when I'm really pushed, and you know you can trust me. Your turn."

"You have a habit of saving people, especially girls in distress," Brooke smiled up at him. "Especially me. You're hardworking and yet laidback. You're tough, yet you're a teddy bear really. And you kiss better than any boy I ever knew."

"I'll forget the teddy bear thing and concentrate on the last one," Lucas grinned as he bent to kiss her forehead. "See? You know lots about me."

"Lucas …" Brooke sighed.

"You want to know about my previous romantic entanglements," Lucas agreed with her silent plea. "They aren't that interesting."

"They're interesting enough to have made you hate me on first sight," Brooke reminded him before she took a sip of the hot liquid.

"I didn't hate you," Lucas protested. "I just thought you were someone you weren't. And I'm real glad I was wrong."

Brooke paused, forcing Lucas to stop. "Lucas, why won't you tell me?"

"Because it's not one of the highlights of my past," Lucas sighed. "In college, I met a girl called Jen. I fell pretty hard for her, and I thought she'd fallen for me too. We spent two years together, until I realised she'd been stealing money from me. To give to her other boyfriend."

"Lucas, I'm sorry," Brooke winced and put her free hand on his arm.

"So it's not that interesting, is it?" Lucas said as he moved away and started walking.

"That still doesn't explain why you thought what you did about me though," Brooke said softly as she followed him.

"She was kinda flirty," Lucas murmured. "She used to flirt with all my friends, and even Nathan. But I always thought it was just her nature. It wasn't until later that I found out she'd actually come on to virtually all of them, and they'd all knocked her back."

Brooke said nothing, but slipped her hand into his.

"And she … um, she kinda looked a little like you too," Lucas muttered.

"She did?" Brooke asked, surprised.

"She was a bit taller, but she was a brunette, with hazel eyes and a flirtatious smile," Lucas said wryly.

"Oh," was all Brooke could manage.

"She's as much in the past as James is," Lucas told her.

"I don't remind you of her anymore?" Brooke asked gently.

"You're nothing like her," Lucas said as they reached her apartment. She unlocked the door and they headed upstairs. "Apart from some minor superficial similarities."

"But I'm prettier, right?" Brooke teased.

"Of course," Lucas grinned as he pulled her towards him. "Your smile is flirtatious, but I know you're coming home with me, and only me. You aren't mercenary or duplicitous, Brooke Davis."

"Well, I might be if I knew what they meant," Brooke said, flippantly.

Lucas chuckled. "And you're a lot smarter than she was, so I happen to know that you do know what they mean, you just like to pretend you don't."

"You know me so well," Brooke laughed.

"Yeah, I do," Lucas said softly. "And you know me so well."

Brooke wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his head down to meet her lips. "Yeah, I guess I do."

*

"We're going to be late!" Jake yelled as he grabbed a fleeing Jenny.

"We're always late," Peyton yelled back. "That's our thing. We're never on time."

"Maybe I'd like to change our thing to us being on time," Jake suggested as he kept hold of a wriggling Jenny.

"You can't just change our thing when you feel like it," Peyton's head appeared in the doorway, adorned with a frown.

"Get ready!" Jake yelled.

"Fine!" Peyton's head disappeared, to fully reappear two minutes later.

"Wow," Jake whispered as he and Jenny stared at her.

Peyton grinned before spinning around. "You wanna be on time?"

"We could be a little late," Jake grinned slowly as he stepped towards her. "You look stunning."

"Brooke would kill me if I didn't dress for the occasion," Peyton sighed as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

"So it's Lucas' birthday," Jake shrugged as he trailed kisses across her nape. "He has one every year. As does everyone else in the world. It's not like he'll miss us if we're a little late."

"You're not getting me out of this dress, Jake," Peyton warned with a smile. "It took me two hours to get in this dress, do my makeup and hair and get Jenny ready, and I'm not wasting it."

"I don't know if I should be insulted or not," Jake laughed.

Peyton patted his cheek. "You can get me out of it in a couple of hours. But for now, we're going to celebrate our friends' birthday."

"Fine," Jake grumbled as he put Jenny on the ground and ushered them out of the house.

*

"Lucas, you can't stay in there all night!" Brooke yelled through the door.

"Why?" he whined. "I'd rather stay in with you."

"Because it's your birthday, and lots of people want to spend a few hours in your company, wishing you many happy returns," Brooke sighed. "Besides, I get to show off my new dress."

Lucas opened the door and considered her. "If you didn't have a new dress, would we have to have a party?"

Brooke grinned. "No."

"Stupid dress," Lucas muttered as he stepped out of the bathroom.

Brooke reached up to stroke his hair. "You look gorgeous."

"It's not every day you turn twenty six," Lucas grumbled.

"Lucas, come on," Brooke hit his arm hard. "This is your first birthday with me as your girlfriend. It's special."

"And I'd like to celebrate that specialness by taking you into that bedroom, taking off your dress and spending some quality time together," Lucas grinned.

"Later," Brooke promised with a wicked grin. "Right now we have to set up so we don't end up missing your own party."

"Fine," Lucas gave in. "But I'm holding you to that later."

Brooke grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the kitchen. "It's a promise, I swear."

*

 

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked as he stepped into the den.

"Wrapping Lucas' present," Haley murmured.

"I can see that," Nathan grinned as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I mean, why are you doing that now when you normally do things like that a month in advance?"

"I was going to do it when I came in from work," Haley said primly. "But something distracted me."

"I can't help it if my gorgeous, sexy wife makes me distract her," Nathan chuckled.

"Are you ready to leave when I've done this?" Haley asked with a giggle as Nathan kissed her nape.

"Unless I can distract you again," Nathan said hopefully.

"Not until later," Haley swatted his hand away. "If we're late, Brooke will kill us."

Nathan stepped back in surrender. "We should get going then."

Haley laughed. "I don't think she'll chase you with a baseball bat again, Nathan."

"Best not to tempt her, though," Nathan decided.

"So long as you don't give her designs to Jenny to scribble over again, I think you're good," Haley teased.

"Stop wasting time, Hales," Nathan grabbed the present and her hand, dragging her towards the door.

*

 

"Man, I'm glad that's over," Lucas said as he dropped onto the couch next to Haley.

"My feet ache," Brooke whined as she grabbed Jake's hand and pleaded with him to carry her to a chair.

Jake hoisted her into his arms and dropped into a chair, taking her with him. "I could sleep for a week."

"We're too old for these kinds of parties," Nathan decided as he nudged Peyton aside to take a seat, pulling her back across his lap and burying his head in her shoulder.

"Well, Lucas definitely is," Haley teased as she poked his side.

"Ow!" he yelped. "You're lucky I'm too tired to retaliate.

"So how does it feel to be twenty six?" Jake asked.

"You'll find out in seven years," Lucas groaned.

"Aww, you're just an old man," Brooke lifted her head from Jake's shoulder long enough to send him a teasing smile.

"Hey, I'm the only guy here who's not part of an old married couple," Lucas protested.

"I'd hardly call six months as old," Peyton murmured against Nathan's chest.

"Hey, I'm just impressed you all haven't got divorce lawyers yet," Lucas grinned.

"Someone throw a pillow at him," Nathan muttered.

"No energy," Haley sighed.

"We can't stay here all night," Peyton protested.

"Au contraire, my darling wife," Jake argued. "I think not only can we stay here all night, but that we should stay here all night."

"Think of the aching muscles tomorrow morning," Lucas groaned.

"I really don't think I can move," Brooke whined.

"There's Nathan's old room, if you want to stay," Lucas offered. "And this couch folds out to a bed."

"No strength to pull open the couch," Jake muttered. "Get the wife to do it."

Brooke protested as a cushion, aiming for Jake, landed on her head. "Hey!"

"Sorry, Brooke," Peyton chuckled.

"Lucas, take me to bed," Brooke said plaintively.

"I can't," Lucas murmured.

"Jake?" Brooke asked hopefully.

"Uh-uh," Jake muttered, his eyes closed.

"Nathan?" Brooke whined.

"No chance, Brooke," Nathan shrugged.

"So, who's going to make me an aunt first?" Brooke said cheerfully, clapping her hands together.

"Nathan, put her to bed!" Haley groaned.

"Jake, help him," Peyton moaned.

"Don't let her start talking about babies," Haley sighed. "I'm too young for stretch marks."

"We're too poor to have more than one baby," Peyton sighed.

"So put her to bed," Haley poked Nathan with her toe.

"Before she starts talking about names and shopping for cribs," Peyton pleaded with Jake.

"Lucas, put your girlfriend to bed before she plans our future children," Jake said. "I've only been married six months and I already have enough children."

"Don't look at me. You're the ones with the wives," Lucas grinned.

"Stupid marriage," Nathan grumbled.

"Stupid commitment," Jake grumbled.

"Take me to bed!" Brooke whined loudly as five collective groans filled the room.

*

 

"I'm so tired," Lucas sighed as he brought Brooke closer to him.

"Go to sleep then," Brooke mumbled drowsily.

"I love you, Brooke," Lucas said softly as he closed his eyes.

"I love you too, old man," Brooke teased before surrendering to sleep.

*

 

"I can't make it to work tomorrow," Haley groaned as she slipped into bed.

"You can always call in sick," Nathan grinned.

"Call who? My two bosses are either in bed with me or next door, in bed with my best friend," Haley chuckled.

"Early morning phone sex," Nathan suggested.

Haley giggled as Nathan tugged her towards him, closing her eyes and letting sleep wash over her.

*

 

"Thanks for pulling out the bed, Pey," Jake mumbled as his head hit the pillow.

"You owe me dinner tomorrow night, Jagielski," Peyton muttered as she landed next to him.

"Takeaway pizza in bed?" Jake asked hopefully, opening one eye.

"We're not getting crumbs in our brand new bed," Peyton laughed.

"Buying an apartment isn't all it's cracked up to be," Jake muttered.

"Stop complaining," Peyton said. "It's been two months, get over it."

"Kiss me and I might think about it," Jake teased as he pulled her closer and kissed her soundly.

*

"Do you guys think we spend too much time together?" Haley asked as she threw her suitcase on the floor.

Five pairs of eyes stared back at her, blankly.

"I just mean we see each other all the time, and now we're on vacation together …" Haley trailed off and bit her lip, grinning.

"Until we win the lottery, group discount it is," Lucas said as he tugged Brooke's suitcase with him. "How many pairs of shoes are in here?"

"Just four," Brooke said angelically.

"More like fourteen," Lucas muttered. "How can you need five pairs of shoes for a weekend?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Brooke grinned.

"No," Lucas admitted with a chuckle.

"Who wants to get supplies?" Nathan asked as he stared into the empty cupboards.

The girls stared at each other. "We'll go," they said in unison, before Haley swiped the keys from the table and they rushed out of the door.

"What was all that about?" Nathan frowned.

"They're afraid we'll come back with pizza and beer," Jake explained.

"There's nothing wrong with pizza and beer," Nathan shrugged.

"I'm gonna see if I can get that fire started," Lucas said as he spied the chopped wood.

"Good plan," Jake said as he rubbed his hands together. "Coming to a cabin in February might be romantic, but it's freezing."

"Blame him," Lucas motioned to Nathan as he laid the wood in the fireplace. "It was his idea. I was all for a trip to Mexico."

"Mexico sounds really good, right about now," Jake muttered.

*

 

"What are you up to, hiding away in here?" Brooke said as she stepped into their bedroom.

"Nothing," Lucas said guiltily as he shut his bag. "I just wanted to check I hadn't forgotten my … toothbrush."

"It's in the bathroom, with mine, silly," Brooke laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I put it in there earlier."

"I should probably have checked there first, huh?" Lucas grinned.

"All this fresh country air is affecting your brain," Brooke teased.

"Uh huh," Lucas agreed as he buried his head in her shoulder. "Did you want something?"

"Hmm?" Brooke murmured as she arched her neck.

"In here," Lucas explained. "Or were you just coming to find me?"

"Oh," Brooke stalled. "I was just … coming to check you were okay."

"You wanna go for a walk?" Lucas asked as he lifted his head and smiled down at her.

"Sure," Brooke smiled up at him. "I'll be out in a minute." Off his look, she added, "I just need to use the … ah … bathroom."

*

 

"What's for dinner?" Nathan asked as he spied Peyton in the kitchen.

She looked at him blankly. "I have no idea. What _is_  for dinner?"

"You aren't making something?" Nathan groaned.

"Jake cooks. I wash up," Peyton explained.

"Where is he?" Nathan asked, looking around. "I'm gonna die if I don't get some food soon."

"Here," Peyton said before throwing him a bag of chips. "I won't tell if you don't."

Nathan held the bag with tender care. "Where's Haley?"

"She and Jake went to find some logs, since Lucas used all of them up earlier," Peyton shrugged.

"Should we attempt to make food?" Nathan asked with a frown.

"I don't know," Peyton said slowly. "I'm really bad at cooking."

"I can make pasta," Nathan suggested.

"We have pasta." Peyton rummaged in the fridge and pulled out two packets of fresh pasta.

"We can't mess up pasta, right?" Nathan asked.

"I don't think so," Peyton said as she stared at the pasta.

"Okay," Nathan murmured. "I just have to make … uh … a phone call, then I'll be right with you, Mrs Jagielski."

"Yeah, I have to grab a painkiller from the bathroom first anyway," Peyton sighed.

"Your leg still hurting?" Nathan asked sympathetically.

"Uh, yeah," Peyton bit her lip. "My own fault for tripping on the ice, huh?"

"Hey, I'm married to the biggest klutz in New York," Nathan chuckled.

*

 

"Jake, what am I going to do?" Haley sighed.

"Tell him," Jake said simply.

"I'm scared, though," she groaned.

"I know you are," Jake said comfortingly as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. "But he'll understand."

"No he won't," Haley denied. "He's happy with life just as it is, without anything coming along to rock the boat. He's not going to want this."

"Haley, Nathan loves you. You're married. You'll work it out, between the two of you," Jake assured her.

"Like you and Peyton are working it out between the two of you?" Haley sighed. "You haven't told her your little secret either."

"I'm waiting for the right time," Jake murmured as he stared across the beautiful view before them.

"She's going to notice eventually," Haley pointed out. "She's very astute about that stuff."

"I know. Drives me mad," Jake sighed. "I'll tell her when we get back home."

"And I'll tell Nathan," Haley promised. "Deal?"

"Deal," Jake grinned as they shook hands. "Come on, we better get some logs before they come looking for us."

*

 

"We're not playing strip poker," Peyton said firmly.

"I didn't say anything!" Nathan protested.

"You have a pack of cards in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other," Peyton said with a raised eyebrow.

"I just fancied a nice game of Snap," Nathan answered with a grin.

"Liar," Lucas chuckled as he swiped the vodka from his brother and put it back in the kitchen.

"Hey!" Nathan protested.

"We're finishing off the wine before we start on the hard stuff," Lucas called from the kitchen.

"There wouldn't be any left over if the girls had actually wanted to drink the wine they bought," Jake pointed out, in Nathan's defence.

"Thank you!" Nathan clapped Jake on the shoulder.

"It tasted like vinegar," Peyton wrinkled her nose.

"The wine?" Brooke asked as she appeared. "It was horrible."

"Then why did you pick it?" Lucas asked.

"The label looked cute," Brooke said as she picked up the bottle and showed it to him.

"It's a cottage," Lucas said slowly.

"It's a cute cottage," Brooke corrected.

"Next time, Peyton picks the wine," Lucas winced as he slung an arm around his girlfriend.

"So what are we playing?" Haley asked as she appeared and slumped next to Nathan.

"Not strip poker," Nathan shrugged.

"Regular poker?" Jake suggested.

Brooke raised her hand. "Too poor."

"Truth or Consequence?" Peyton suggested.

"I'm pretty sure we know each other's shady histories," Brooke laughed.

"I'm sure some of us have some secrets, even between each other," Jake murmured.

"That sounds like a challenge to me," Nathan grinned, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"There is absolutely nothing that you guys don't know about me," Brooke laughed as she sat on the floor between Lucas' legs. "If anyone's got any secrets, I'd say it was …. Haley. It's always the quiet ones."

"The quiet ones are the boring ones," Haley replied, sticking her tongue out at Brooke.

"Peyton's store," Jake shrugged, a wicked grin on his face.

"Ew, I'm never going in there again!" Brooke wrinkled her nose.

"Says the girl who's done it in Rueful and the Scott Agency," Haley laughed.

"Hey, no spilling our secrets!" Brooke pouted.

"We all knew that," Nathan shuddered.

"Whose turn is it next?" Lucas asked, changing the subject swiftly.

"Yours," Haley grinned.

"Fill me in on the excitement when I return," Nathan sighed as he stood up and headed for the bathroom.

"When are you going to convince Brooke to move in with you?" Peyton asked lazily.

"Hey!" Brooke winced.

"That should probably be Brooke's question," Lucas shrugged. "But to answer, whenever she finally says yes. I've asked her every way I know how."

"I just think it's too soon," Brooke murmured as she reached up to stroke his face. "I don't want to rush things."

"Considering the company you're in, waiting a year isn't rushing things," Haley teased.

"Just because it's working for you, it doesn't mean it'd work for everyone," Brooke said primly.

Nathan appeared in the doorway, his face ashen.

"Nathan?" Haley noticed him first.

"Nate, are you alright?" Lucas sat up and looked at his brother worriedly.

"I have a Truth or Consequence," Nathan said hollowly.

"Okay," Jake said slowly.

Everyone watched as Nathan slowly held up his hand.

"Who's pregnant?"

*

" _I have a Truth or Consequence," Nathan said hollowly._

" _Okay," Jake said slowly._

_Everyone watched as Nathan slowly held up his hand._

" _Who's pregnant?"_

Blank stares greeted him, but he only had eyes for his wife.

"Haley?" he asked, his throat dry and his voice sounding scratchy and most unlike him.

She shook her head wordlessly, her eyes revealing her honesty.

"Peyton?" Jake whispered.

Peyton glanced over at Brooke, who had gone as white as a sheet. Wordlessly, she stood up and walked over to her, holding out her hands and taking Brooke's weight as she collapsed into her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Brooke?" Lucas' voice was faint.

"I'm so sorry," Brooke's muffled voice came from Peyton's middle. "I don't know how it happened."

"You're pregnant?" Lucas said slowly, his eyes opening wide in wonder. "We're having a baby?"

Peyton turned with Brooke in her arms and indicated for Lucas to take her. Lucas slipped his arms around Brooke and held her silently, as the others tiptoed out of the room and into the kitchen.

"Wow," Haley whispered as she sat on a stool. "Brooke's gonna be a mom!"

"This is huge," Nathan said as he took a seat next to her. "I was so scared it was you, Hales."

"Scared?" Haley questioned with a frown.

"I mean, one day I want to have kids, but I'm kinda just enjoying it just being the two of us," Nathan explained. "I like our little life that we have right now."

"Haley …" Jake murmured.

"Hot chocolate, anyone?" Peyton interrupted as she grabbed mugs.

All three murmured their assent.

"Is there something going on?" Nathan asked as he looked between Jake and Haley.

Haley groaned. Jake nudged her.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," Haley sighed as she shot Jake daggers. "In fact, there's something Jake and I need to talk to you and Peyton about."

"Go on," Nathan said slowly as he took a mug of steaming chocolate from Peyton, who settled next to him.

"Jake?" Haley elbowed him hard.

"I guess I'll go first then," Jake shrugged. "I got a pay-rise at work."

"I don't get it," Peyton frowned. "Isn't that good news?"

"Technically, yes it is," Jake agreed with a grimace. "But I also want to quit."

"Okay," Peyton looked at her husband, her eyes troubled. "I don't understand."

"Haley?" Jake turned to her with pleading eyes.

"I've loved working at the agency with you, Nate," Haley began. "But I think it's time for me to move on."

"Move on?" Nathan repeated. "Move on to where?"

"Jake and I have been talking," Haley said, pleading with Nathan to understand. "We want to start our own store."

Nathan and Peyton shared a confused look, before looking back to their partners.

"What kind of store?" Peyton asked.

"A music store," Jake grinned.

"Where we can have live music and play the records we want to play and be our own boss," Haley finished.

"Jake, we just bought the apartment," Peyton sighed, a frown marring her forehead.

"I know," Jake sighed as he took Peyton's hands in his own. "But we found this space to rent that wouldn't cost too much, and the previous owner wants to get rid of all his stock too."

"The first couple of months would be rough," Haley bit her lip. "But if we can stay afloat, then the store would thrive."

"You don't know anything about running a store," Nathan pointed out.

"But Peyton does," Jake said. "She's been the manager of the store for almost six months."

"You want me to work there too?" Peyton frowned. "But that would be our entire income."

"I know," Jake grimaced. "I know it's a hell of a risk, but when has anything we've done not been risky? And it's always paid off."

"This isn't the same thing," Peyton argued. "This would be everything on the line."

"I could get some of the clients to make an appearance," Nathan murmured as he took Haley's hand. "If this is what you really want."

"It really is," Haley said, her eyes shining. "I know it's a risk, and it's kinda stupid, but it's what we want to do."

"Everyone said the agency was a risk when Lucas and I started it," Nathan recalled.

"And look how successful it is," Haley said.

"Let's make an appointment with the bank manager when we get back," Nathan suggested. "And see what she says. If it's feasible, you have my support."

"Really?" Haley jumped up excitedly and barrelled him to the ground.

"Really," Nathan laughed. "I want you to do what you really want, Hales."

"Peyton?" Jake asked nervously.

"I guess if Nathan can agree, then I can too," Peyton said slowly. "But I'm staying on at the store part-time to start with, so that we at least have some kind of income."

"You are gorgeous," Jake told her before ravishing her with a kiss.

"I kinda have a confession too," Nathan said as he turned on his side and looked at Haley.

"Please don't tell me you're quitting too," Haley laughed.

"I spoke to your parents a week ago," Nathan said softly.

"You did?" Haley asked slowly.

"I called them earlier today as well," Nathan said, trying to judge his wife's reaction. "They're going to be in New York on Monday, when we get back. They want to see you."

"Huh," Haley said softly. "You are just perfect, you know that?"

"You're not mad?" Nathan asked in relief.

"Nope, I'm glad they get to meet you finally," Haley grinned. "You're so cute."

"Were you really that nervous about telling us?" Nathan asked as he sat up, pulling Haley up too.

"Yes," Jake and Haley laughed in unison.

"Not half as nervous as Brooke and Lucas are probably feeling though," Peyton said soberly.

All four of them cast their eyes towards the door leading to the den.

"Brooke?" Lucas murmured as he pulled away slightly, keeping his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry, Lucas," Brooke said as she looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Don't be sorry," Lucas whispered as he brushed the tears from her cheeks. "When were you going to tell me?"

"When I'd done a few thousand more tests," Brooke mumbled with a half-hearted smile.

"Are you … upset?" Lucas asked carefully.

"I don't know," Brooke answered honestly. "Are you?"

"I'm not upset," Lucas said slowly.

"I know I'm terrified," Brooke admitted.

"Me too," Lucas agreed with a shaky laugh.

"What do we do?" Brooke asked softly.

"I have no idea," Lucas answered honestly as he enveloped her in a hug. "It's your body, Brooke, the choice is mostly up to you."

"It's our baby," Brooke mumbled almost incoherently against his chest.

"Our baby," Lucas echoed in wonder.

"You sound like you want the baby," Brooke said as she moved away from him and sat down to rest her shaking legs.

"I'd love to have the baby," Lucas said as he sat next to her. "But I understand if you think it's too soon, or that we're not ready, or that you don't want to have a baby right now."

Brooke closed her eyes and let her jumbled thoughts settle.

"Lucas, we're not exactly in the ideal situation to have a baby," she said slowly. Carefully. "I mean, we don't even live together. And you have the agency to run, and I'm just starting out as a designer."

"That's all superficial stuff, Brooke," Lucas argued. "We can sort all that stuff out if we decide to have the baby."

"It's not superficial," Brooke disagreed. "What if we have the baby, and regret it in a few years? What if we start to hate each other for tying the other down? What if the baby suffers because its parents made the wrong decision? This is really important stuff, Lucas."

Lucas bit his lip as he stared at her. After a year of dating, he could read Brooke Davis like a book. But he didn't want to say the wrong thing and rush her towards a decision that she regretted afterwards. The news of Brooke's pregnancy had hit him sideways, but now that he was adjusting to the news, he was starting to dream.

"Brooke, we aren't your parents," Lucas said softly.

"But we could be," Brooke said starkly as she stared at him. "So easily."

"You think they made the wrong decision to be parents, but you're wrong," Lucas said firmly as he took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "If they'd made a different decision, then you wouldn't be here, holding my hands and telling me that we've created a life together. I wouldn't have fallen in love with the most beautiful girl I've ever met, inside and out. They might not have been the parents you wanted, but that doesn't mean that you won't be an amazing mother."

"I'm scared, Lucas," Brooke whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

"You aren't alone," Lucas told her. "I'm here, and I'll always be here, no matter what we decide about the baby."

"I don't want to trap you." Brooke's voice broke with heartbreaking sadness. A tear slipped down her cheek.

"You trapped me a long time ago, Brooke Davis," Lucas murmured as he caught her tear. "The minute I fell for you, I had no choice. I didn't want a choice."

"You say that now, but what about in ten years, when I'm a bitter alcoholic and you're a workaholic, banging his secretary?" Brooke wailed.

Lucas chuckled. "Babe, that won't happen to us, I promise."

"This changes everything, Lucas," Brooke said sadly. "I'll always feel like I trapped you, and you'll always feel like I tricked you into this."

"Come with me," Lucas said as he stood up and held out his hands to pull her up. He led her to their bedroom.

"Lucas, I don't think sex is gonna help," Brooke said blankly.

Lucas let out a chuckle before grabbing his bag and rooting through it. "That wasn't quite what I had in mind."

"Then what?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Aha!" Lucas exclaimed as he pulled something out of the bag. He turned to Brooke, whose eyes widened at the box in his hand.

"Lucas …" she murmured.

"I planned this months ago," Lucas began nervously. "Ironically, I didn't want you to feel trapped."

He opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement ring.

"We don't have to get married tomorrow. We don't have to get married this month, or even this year," Lucas said in earnest. "This ring is just a promise that we're in this together, forever."

"You bought me an engagement ring?" Brooke said in wonder, her eyes not moving from the sparkling ring.

"Before you even got pregnant," Lucas teased.

"You want to marry me?" Brooke asked.

"More than anything, but only when you're ready," Lucas bit his lip. "And regardless of what happens with the baby."

"When I woke up this morning, I felt physically sick," Brooke murmured as she reached out to finger the ring. "And not because of morning sickness or anything yucky, but because I thought everything would fall apart. And here you are, offering me marriage and a family."

"You've always been my family, Brooke," Lucas said softly. "This just makes it more official."

"Lucas!" Brooke protested as her eyes filled.

Lucas grinned as he bent on one knee. "Brooke Davis, will you marry me?"

Brooke launched herself into his arms, causing him to overbalance and topple to the floor, taking her with him.

"Is that a yes?" Lucas laughed as he took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger.

"That's a yes," Brooke said softly as she stared at her finger. "A yes to everything."

"Everything?" Lucas said slowly, questioningly, hopefully.

"Everything," Brooke beamed before kissing him senseless.

"We're getting married?" Lucas asked.

"We're getting married," Brooke squealed.

"And we're having a baby?" Lucas asked.

"We're having a family," Brooke yelled.

"And you're not worried anymore?" Lucas asked.

"I'm terrified!" Brooke giggled loudly.

"Just checking," Lucas chuckled before pulling Brooke down to kiss her.

And that's where the four found them.

"You're getting married?" Nathan asked as he lounged against the doorway.

"Yep," Lucas mumbled against Brooke's mouth.

"And you're having a baby?" Jake asked as his arms circled Peyton.

"We sure are," Brooke giggled.

"You crazy kids," Jake shook his head comically. "You know it's insane to have kids, right?"

"Funny," Brooke said as she picked up a cushion and threw it at him. "You were only sixteen! I'll be twenty one when this one is born," she grinned as she pointed to her belly.

"That poor, unborn child," Haley sighed.

"Hey!" Brooke yelled, looking for another cushion to throw at her.

"I'm kidding," Haley laughed. "So, can we give the mom-to-be a hug or not?"

"Of course you can!" Brooke held out her arms from her position on the floor.

Haley and Peyton ran across the room and pulled her up, hugging her tightly as all three of them started crying. Nathan and Jake, being more manly and less emotional, helped Lucas to his feet before clapping him on the back and congratulating him in deep, macho voices.

"Hey, you get to do this first," Peyton laughed through her tears.

"Remember when you were upset because you weren't getting married with us?" Haley asked as she swiped at her tears. "Now I'm upset because I'm not the only mommy!"

Brooke hugged her tighter.

"I'm going to be an uncle," Nathan said in bemusement.

"I'm going to be a father," Lucas said, slightly dazed now it was all becoming real for him.

"I am a father," Jake sighed.

"Who knew it would work out this way?" Lucas said as he pulled Brooke towards him, kissing the tip of her nose.

"I did," Peyton said with a laugh. "It was obvious to Jake and I. It just took the four of you a little longer."

"You knew?" Haley asked in disbelief.

"The moment Haley opened her bracelet from Nathan on her birthday," Peyton nodded.

Haley fingered her bracelet, smiling up at her husband.

"And the moment Lucas stole Brooke's food from her plate," Jake laughed.

"Hey, you stole it too!" Brooke glared at him.

"But I already had my girl," Jake grinned as he wrapped his arms around Peyton.

"Now we all have our girls," Nathan grinned.

"Lucky us," Lucas chuckled as he dropped a kiss on Brooke's head and stroked her tummy gently.

"She's beautiful," Haley whispered as she stared at the baby.

"She's so small," Peyton said as she stroked the baby's face gently.

"She's perfect," Brooke murmured as she rocked the baby. Lucas kissed her head, then the baby's head, before moving towards the guys at the end of the bed.

"How's it feel, man?" Nathan asked as they watched the girls coo over the baby.

"Amazing. Terrifying," Lucas said, not taking his eyes off his daughter and her mother.

"Congrats, Mr. Scott," Jake said as he let a fidgeting Jenny down and watched her walk towards Peyton and hold her hand. "She'll have you wrapped around her finger in five minutes."

"It took two seconds," Lucas said ruefully.

"Look at them," Nathan said quietly.

The guys looked at their families, and their extended family, smiles growing on all their faces.

Jake and Haley had started their store, and whilst it had been rocky to begin with, after four months, they'd started to make a profit and they were finally beginning to get recognition, thanks to some appearances from some of Nathan and Lucas' clients. Nathan and Haley had gotten a dog, a golden retriever that Haley had named Critter, much to Nathan's disgust, but they had become Jenny's favorite babysitters when Critter had come along. Brooke and Lucas had moved into his apartment and married three months after Brooke's announcement, when she was just starting to show but was still able to fly back to Tree Hill and marry in the church they'd all gotten married in. She'd looked gorgeous in the dress she'd made years ago, that had been altered just slightly to accommodate her slightly growing tummy. Peyton and Brooke had been her matrons of honor, Jenny her flower girl and Nathan had been Lucas' best man. Mandy had blubbed through the whole ceremony. Jake had given her away. Her parents hadn't replied to their invitation, but Karen and Dan, Lucas and Nathan's parents, had made it, grateful to be invited to at least one of their son's weddings.

"Hannah Phoebe Belle Scott," Nathan mused. "That's quite a mouthful."

"The next one is going to be either Louise Nicole Jessica or Joshua Leo Noah," Lucas grinned.

"We're lucky men," Jake said.

"We have the best women in the world," Nathan agreed.

Lucas agreed. "Beautiful, strong, smart, passionate, adorable, independent women."


End file.
